Coyotl Licensing Policy

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Coyotl 3.0.0 is 100% GPL, and if your use of it is 100% GPL compliant,
then you never have to pay me for a license. In all other instances,
you are better served by purchasing a commercial license.

"GPL" refers to the GNU General Public License. You can find the
definitive version of the GPL in the file "LICENSE.GPL". The Coyotl
distribution includes the text of the GPL in the LICENSE.GPL file.

Coyotl is also available under commercial non-GPL license. The
LICENSE.COMMERCIAL file contains a default license; I am always open
to discussing terms that fit an individual customer's needs.

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License Choices

If your application is licensed under the GPL, you are free and
welcome to ship GPL-licensed Coyotl software with your application.
By "application" I mean any type of software application, system,
tool or utility. For doing this, you do not need a separate signed
agreement with me, because the GPL text is sufficient.

As long as you never distribute Coyotl software (or software that
forms a derivative work with Coyotl software) in any way, you are
free to use it for powering your application, irrespective of the
license the application is under.

You are allowed to modify GPL-licensed Coyotl software any way you
like. If you choose to distribute any software that forms a
derivative work with GPL licensed Coyotl software then the entire
derivative work must be placed under the terms and conditions of the
GPL.

You are allowed to copy Coyotl binaries and source code, but when
you do so, the copies will fall under the GPL license.

A derivative work is a work that is based in whole or in part on
another work. Your national copyright law may provide additional
information on when a derivative work is formed. If you are unsure
of whether or not your combination of GPL licensed Coyotl software
with other software forms a derivative work, then I recommend
placing the derivative work under the GPL or purchasing a commercial
license.

If your application is not licensed under the GPL and you intend to
distribute Coyotl software (be that internally or externally), you must
first obtain a commercial license to the Coyotl software.

So, if you include Coyotl in your non-GPL licensed application you need
a commercial license for Coyotl.

If you desire a warranty, support or consulting on the use of Coyotl,
you need a commercial license. Many users opt for the commercial license
simply because under it, I take formal responsibility for the product.
Under the GPL license, there are no warranties or representations for
the software.

If you represent a non-profit organization or an academic institution,
I recommend you to put your own application under GPL. Thereby you are
free to use Coyotl software free of charge under the GPL license.

If you are a private individual you are free to use Coyotl software
for your personal applications, as long as you do not distribute them.

Please note that even if you ship a free demo version of your own
application, the above rules apply.

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Recommendations

To all commercial organizations I recommend the commercial license. Not
only does this release you from the requirements of the GPL license, it
also gives you a license letter from Coyotl where I assume responsibility
for my product. The GPL license is an "as is" license with no warranties
whatsoever.

To all GPL/Open Source enthusiasts I recommend licensing Coyotl under
the GPL license.

To anyone in doubt, I recommend the commercial license. It is never
wrong. I am able to sell commercial licenses at prices well under the
industry average, and this is without compromising my own profitability.

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Older Versions

Coyotl is based on code that has been around in many forms for several
years. Some of it was used in my early C++ programming books; other
pieces of code stem from web site articles or personal development
projects. A few classes resulted from commercial projects. In all cases,
the code is mine, I wrote it, and I'm making it available simply
because I see no reason why I shouldn't.

Because of the long history of this code, older versions were released
under an inconsistent mish-mash of licenses. With this release, I've
formalized Coyotl under the GPL, in keeping with standard industry
practices. I may have my quibbles with the GPL, but it has the 
advantages of being well-understood and well-debated.

If you have any questions on Coyotl licensing, feel free to contact me
at scott.ladd@coyotegulch.com.

..Scott