For contributions to the Codezero Project, we ask for a copyright share agreement, namely B Labs Contribution Agreement (BCA). In the essence of it, by this agreement you:
By accepting the agreement, B Labs Ltd.
You may reach a copy of the BCA here.
For further questions please read the contribution FAQ as below. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to share them on our mailing list, or contact us.
1. Q: Do I lose any rights to my contribution under the BCA?
A: No, the BCA only asks you to share your rights. Unlike some contribution agreements that require you to transfer copyrights to another organization, the BCA does not take away your rights to your contributed intellectual property. When you agree to the BCA, you grant B Labs joint ownership in copyright, and a patent license for your contributions. You retain all rights, title, and interest in your contributions and may use them for any purpose you wish. Other than revoking the rights granted to B Labs, you still have the freedom to do whatever you want with your code.
2. Q: I don't want my contribution to end up only in a proprietary product. Does B Labs promise to publish my contribution under an open-source license?
A: Yes, B Labs will make certain that any contributions that are published under any license, are available under an FSF or OSI approved license as well.
3. Q: Can I be certain that if I contribute to a project covered under the BCA, I'll retain the right to contribute to other, non-BCA covered projects under any license?
A: Yes, since you are sharing your copyright and not relinquishing it, there is nothing that prohibits you to make the same contributions to another project that is not covered by the BCA.
4. Q: I'd like to be credited for my contributions. Can I expect this?
A:. B Labs is and will remain as an open source provider, and as such will attempt to provide sponsorship opportunities as much as possible, particularly for contributions on core enhancements of the projects. The BCA itself does not obligate B Labs to provide sponsorship for contributions, however.
It is common practice to give acknowledgement to contributors. Particularly for source code contributions, acknowledgement may be given to the contributor with a “Written by” clause placed at the top of the related source code files, and contributor name shall appear in the project's credits section, and perhaps be mentioned in release announcements, as well. It is worth to note however, that the BCA itself does not legally obligate B Labs to offer any particular form of acknowledgement.
1. Q: I want to contribute. Do I need to sign anything to get started?
A: Yes. It is required that contributors should sign the B Labs Contributor Agreement (BCA) and mail or fax back the completed agreement. A copy of the current version of the BCA can be found here. We are currently working on a digital signature scheme, but this is not available at this time.
2. Q: When do I need to fill out an BCA?
A: Before you first contribute source code to our repository such as a patch, or when you contribute any copyrighted material such as documentation.
3. Q: How do I file my completed BCA? Can I do it by email?
A: You may send your signed and completed BCA to B Labs by regular postal mail, by fax, or by scanning your completed form and emailing the image. Contact details are listed at the end of the BCA document.
4. Q: What if I'm contributing on behalf of my company?
A: In that case, an officer of your company (usually of executive title) must sign the BCA on behalf of the company, indicating his or her title. The company can choose to list the specific individuals authorized to make contributions on the “Full Name” line, or may cover all employees with a blanket BCA by not limiting contributors to an authorized list. If necessary, the company may provide a list of authorized contributors in an attachment. The executive signing the BCA must be the first name on such an attached list, and this executive must sign the attachment as well.
5. Q: How do I terminate my BCA?
A: You can stop your participation in a project at any time, but you cannot rescind your assignments or grants with respect to prior contributions. B Labs cannot terminate its responsibilities under the BCA either.