GPLv2-AI Exception
Version 2.0
These supplemental terms supplement the GNU General Public License Version 2 ("GPLv2") applicable to the Licensed Work.
The purpose of these terms is to preserve the copyleft status of the Licensed Work against attempts to reproduce, replace, or substantially replicate the Licensed Work through artificial intelligence, machine learning, automated code-generation systems, or similar technologies, while expressly permitting software applications to be developed and used with the Licensed Work without those applications becoming subject to GPLv2 solely because the Licensed Work was used to create them.
- Definitions 1.1 Licensed Work
"Licensed Work" means the software, source code, documentation, and other materials distributed under GPLv2 together with these supplemental terms.
1.2 Automated System
"Automated System" means any software, service, artificial intelligence system, machine learning system, neural network, code-generation system, source-transformation system, or similar technology capable of analyzing, transforming, generating, or otherwise producing software or other technical works.
1.3 Application
"Application" means software created by a person using the Licensed Work as a development tool, framework, library, runtime, build system, platform, or other development resource, where the resulting software is intended to provide functionality or services distinct from the Licensed Work itself.
1.4 AI Clone
"AI Clone" means a software work that is generated, substantially generated, or substantially developed through use of an Automated System where the Licensed Work, its source code, or a substantial portion of its source code has been supplied to, made available to, retrieved by, or otherwise used by the Automated System, and where the resulting work is intended to reproduce, replace, emulate, or substantially replicate the Licensed Work as a software product, development tool, framework, library, platform, or substantially equivalent implementation.
An AI Clone includes a work whose principal purpose or substantial effect is to provide a substantially equivalent substitute for the Licensed Work.
1.5 Modified Work
"Modified Work" has the meaning given to that term by GPLv2. For purposes of these supplemental terms, an AI Clone is expressly treated as a Modified Work.
- Applications Built Using the Licensed Work
Use of the Licensed Work to create an Application does not, by itself, cause that Application to be a Modified Work or an AI-Derived Work.
In particular, an Application is not subject to GPLv2 solely because:
a. the Application was created using the Licensed Work as a development tool, framework, library, runtime, build system, or platform;
b. the Application uses interfaces, APIs, configuration mechanisms, or other documented functionality provided by the Licensed Work;
c. the Application was generated, assisted, tested, debugged, documented, or otherwise developed with the assistance of an Automated System that was used in connection with the Licensed Work; or
d. the Licensed Work was used during the ordinary development, testing, deployment, or operation of the Application.
This section does not grant permission to incorporate copyrightable portions of the Licensed Work into an Application where such incorporation would otherwise cause the Application to be a Modified Work under GPLv2.
- AI-Assisted Development of Applications
The use of an Automated System to assist in developing an Application does not, solely for that reason, cause the Application to be a Modified Work.
For example, a person may use an Automated System to:
write application code that uses the Licensed Work;
generate application code based on documented APIs or interfaces;
explain the operation or functionality of the Licensed Work;
generate configuration for the Licensed Work;
debug an Application that uses the Licensed Work;
generate documentation for an Application; or
otherwise assist in developing an Application using the Licensed Work.
Nothing in these supplemental terms is intended to impose GPLv2 obligations on an Application merely because an Automated System was used during its development.
- AI-Based Reproduction of the Licensed Work
Notwithstanding Sections 2 and 3, a person may not use an Automated System to circumvent, avoid, or materially reduce the copyleft obligations of GPLv2 by using the Licensed Work as a source for creating a substantially equivalent replacement for the Licensed Work.
Where the Licensed Work or a substantial portion of its source code is supplied to, retrieved by, or otherwise made available to an Automated System for the purpose of creating a substantially equivalent replacement, the resulting software is an AI Clone and is treated as a Modified Work.
An AI Clone includes, without limitation, software generated through instructions such as:
reproducing the Licensed Work;
rewriting the Licensed Work;
porting the Licensed Work to another programming language;
recreating the Licensed Work from its source code;
generating a functionally equivalent implementation from the Licensed Work's source code;
creating a replacement or alternative implementation of the Licensed Work based substantially upon its source code; or
otherwise using an Automated System to reproduce or substantially replicate the Licensed Work while attempting to avoid the GPLv2 obligations applicable to a Modified Work.
- Source Code and Other Representations
For purposes of determining whether software is an AI Clone, the Licensed Work includes its source code and substantial representations of that source code.
Such representations may include, where they materially convey or encode the source code or its expressive implementation:
a. substantial excerpts;
b. source-code translations;
c. transformations of source code;
d. machine-readable representations;
e. embeddings or other representations generated from source code; and
f. summaries or other derived representations that are used as a substantial source for reproducing the implementation of the Licensed Work.
The mere use of general ideas, concepts, algorithms, programming techniques, publicly documented interfaces, or functionality embodied by the Licensed Work does not, by itself, make software an AI Clone.
- Independent Development
Nothing in these supplemental terms restricts the independent development of software that does not use the Licensed Work or a substantial portion of its source code as a source for reproduction.
Software is not an AI Clone merely because it:
a. provides similar functionality;
b. competes with the Licensed Work;
c. implements similar ideas, concepts, algorithms, or techniques;
d. implements a publicly documented interface;
e. was developed independently without using the Licensed Work as a source for reproduction; or
f. was created using an Automated System that did not receive the Licensed Work, a substantial portion of its source code, or a substantial representation of its source code as a source for generating the implementation.
- Training and Machine Learning
The Licensed Work may be used as training, evaluation, retrieval, prompting, fine-tuning, or other input material for an Automated System.
However, where the resulting software constitutes an AI Clone under Section 4, that software is a Modified Work and is subject to GPLv2 and these supplemental terms.
These supplemental terms do not, by themselves, require an Automated System, machine learning model, model weights, or other general-purpose technology to be licensed under GPLv2 merely because it has been trained, evaluated, or otherwise exposed to the Licensed Work.
- Distribution of AI Clones
Any person who distributes an AI Clone must comply with all obligations applicable to a Modified Work under GPLv2.
In particular, the distributor must:
a. license the AI Clone under GPLv2;
b. preserve applicable copyright notices and notices concerning the absence of warranty;
c. provide recipients with a copy of GPLv2 and these supplemental terms;
d. provide the corresponding source code required by GPLv2; and
e. prominently identify material modifications where required by GPLv2.
An AI Clone may not be distributed under terms that impose additional restrictions inconsistent with GPLv2.
- No Circumvention
No person may use an Automated System, machine learning system, source transformation system, or similar technology for the purpose of circumventing, avoiding, weakening, or evading the copyleft obligations that would otherwise apply to a Modified Work under GPLv2.
The use of an Automated System does not, by itself, change the licensing obligations applicable to a work that would otherwise constitute a Modified Work.
- No Expansion of Copyleft to Applications
Nothing in these supplemental terms shall be interpreted to impose GPLv2 obligations on an Application solely because the Application was created using, interacts with, communicates with, or is developed with assistance from the Licensed Work.
The purpose of these supplemental terms is to prevent the creation and distribution of AI Clones of the Licensed Work, not to impose GPLv2 obligations on independent Applications created using the Licensed Work.
Where an Application contains copyrightable portions of the Licensed Work such that it constitutes a Modified Work under GPLv2 independently of these supplemental terms, GPLv2 applies to those portions and to the resulting Modified Work as provided by GPLv2.
- Relationship to GPLv2
Except as expressly supplemented by these terms, all terms and conditions of GPLv2 remain in full force and effect.
If a provision of these supplemental terms conflicts with a mandatory provision of GPLv2, the GPLv2 provision controls to the extent of the conflict.
Nothing in these supplemental terms is intended to restrict any right expressly granted by GPLv2 or to impose obligations on software that is not a Modified Work under GPLv2, except for the specific treatment of AI Clones provided in these supplemental terms.
- Severability
If any provision of these supplemental terms is held to be invalid, unenforceable, or inapplicable under applicable law, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law, and the remaining provisions shall remain in effect.
- Interpretation
These supplemental terms shall be interpreted consistently with the purposes of GPLv2 and with the objective of preventing the use of automated systems as a means of circumventing GPLv2's copyleft requirements while preserving the freedom to develop independent software applications using the Licensed Work.
Nothing in these supplemental terms shall be interpreted to prohibit independent competition, independent development, or the implementation of ideas, concepts, algorithms, techniques, or publicly documented interfaces merely because they are similar to those embodied in the Licensed Work.