The Arimaa Public License (Version: 2011.02) ======== Introduction ======== The purpose of the Arimaa Public License is to make Arimaa freely available for educational, research and personal use while still protecting its intellectual property rights from unauthorized commercial use. Basically any activity in which a vendor charges a customer for a product or service that incorporates Arimaa will be considered commercial use of Arimaa. But rather than trying to provide an all encompassing definition, this license will give some examples to illustrate common scenarios. However in real world situations there may be odd cases which must be considered on a case by case basis. Thus, if there is any doubt about a particular case, please contact Arimaa.com to discuss your intended use. A contact form is provided at: http://arimaa.com/arimaa/contact/ Arimaa.com reserves the right to update this license in the future. The most current version of this license can be found at: http://arimaa.com/arimaa/license/ What is protected: * The Arimaa game is patented. * The Arimaa name is trademarked. * The Arimaa game rules and match rules are copyright protected. * The Arimaa board design and piece design is copyright protected. Depending on the nature of use or distribution of an Arimaa related product or service the rights granted and requirements for compliance with this license vary. The use or distribution of Arimaa is classified into three categories: 1. Educational, research or personal (ERP) use or distribution. 2. Commercial use or distribution. 3. Non-commercial and non-ERP use or distribution. Each of these is discussed in more detail below. Any use or distribution of Arimaa constitutes acceptance of this license and must be done in compliance with one of the three catagories mentioned above. ======== 1. Educational, research or personal use or distribution. ======== For this category there is basically no restrictions on the use or distribution of Arimaa related products or services. Examples of personal, educational or research use or distribution: * A personal web site with information about Arimaa. * An educational web site with information about Arimaa. * Any news or informational related use or distribution. * Making an Arimaa game set for personal use. However you may not hire, contract or commission someone else to make it. * Use of Arimaa in a computer science course. * Development of Arimaa related software for educational, research or personal use. However you may not hire, contract or commision someone else to develop the software; may not sell the software or release the software publicly in any form (source code or executable). This list of examples is not complete; there may be other cases that fall under this category. If you have a doubt about your specific case please use the contact form mentioned above to discuss it. What is granted: * The Arimaa name may be used for informational or educational purpose, but not placed on physical items such as boards or pieces. * The Arimaa board and piece design may be used. * The Arimaa rules may be used. * The Arimaa game may be implemented. What is expected: * Should (but not required) mention that Arimaa is trademarked. * Should (but not required) mention that Arimaa is patented. * Should (but not required) provide a link to the Arimaa.com site. ======== 2. Commercial use or distribution. ======== Commercial usage or distribution of Arimaa related products or services require obtaining a licensing agreement from Arimaa.com. Anyone interested in developing a commercial product or service can contact Arimaa.com through this form: http://arimaa.com/arimaa/contact/ Any activity in which a vendor charges a customer for a product or service that incorporates Arimaa falls under this category. Even if Arimaa is one part of a larger product or service for which a vendor charges a customer, it may in some cases be considered commercial use of Arimaa. Also situations in which a vendor does not directly charge the customers for the product or service, but still generates revenues through other means such as advertising or sponsorship, may in some cases be considered commercial use. Please contact Arimaa.com to discuss your specific case. Examples of commercial use or distribution: * I want to sell software that incorporates Arimaa. * I want to let people play Arimaa on a game site which generates revenue from customers or advertising. * I want to sell Arimaa board games. * I want to sell a book about Arimaa. * I want to hold an Arimaa tournament where the organizers charges a registration, entry fee, sponsorship fees, etc. * I want to hold an Arimaa event where the organizer charges a registrtion fee, entry fee, sells tickets, receives sponsorship fees, etc. * I want to sell Arimaa merchandise; such as T-shirts, caps, mugs, paintings, etc. * I want to commission a person or company to make an Arimaa product for me; such as a game set, mug or program. This list of examples is not complete; there may be other cases that fall under this category. If you have a doubt about your specific case please use the contact form mentioned above to discuss it. Basically if there is any transaction involving an Arimaa product or service then it is considered commercial use. What is granted: * Rights and limitations are determined by the terms of the licensing agreement. What is expected: * Must mention that the product or service is being provided under a license from Arimaa.com and in compliance with "Section 2 of the Arimaa Public License". * Additional requirements for compliance are determined by the terms of the licensing agreement. * Vendors selling Arimaa related product or service should (but not required) contribute back to the Arimaa community not just through licensing fees, but also by other means such as sponsoring annual Arimaa events. ======== 3. Non-commercial, non-ERP use or distribution. ======== Some usage or distribution of Arimaa may be non-commercial, but also not fall under the educational, research or personal (ERP) category. For such cases a written authorization must be obtained from Arimaa.com. The reason why an authorization is required is to maintain a level of quality control over what is presented to the public as Arimaa. Also there may be cases where an existing commercial license has a limited time non-compete clause preventing the creation of similar products or services. Examples of non-commercial, non-ERP use or distribution: * I want to publicly distribute software that incorporates Arimaa. Such as open source software that plays Arimaa. * I want to run a web site that allows people to play Arimaa for free. The site does not generate any revenue from users or through advertising. * I want to hold an Arimaa tournament. There is no registration fee or any other form or income such as sponsorship. This list of examples is not complete; there may be other cases that fall under this category. If you have a doubt about your specific case please use the contact form mentioned above to discuss it. What is granted: * The Arimaa name may be used. * The Arimaa board design may be used. * The Arimaa rules may be used. * The Arimaa game may be implemented. What is expected: * Must mention that the product or service is being provided with a written authorization from Arimaa.com and in compliance with "Section 3 of the Arimaa Public License". * Must mention that any derivitates of the product/service must also comply with the "Arimaa Public License". * Must mention that Arimaa name is a registered trademark. * Must mention that the Arimaa game is patented. * Must mention that the Arimaa rules, the Arimaa board, and Arimaa piece design are copyright protected. * Must clearly dislay the URL www.arimaa.com with the product or service. * Must provide a link to http://arimaa.com/arimaa if the product/service is being offered on the Internet. * If any rights are being granted to the end user it must be mentioned that those rights apply only to the product/service and do not apply to the Arimaa game. ======== Arimaa Variants ======== The mechanics of pushing, pulling, freezing, trapping and multiple steps on each turn allow for many variants of Arimaa to be created. These game mechanics are covered by the Arimaa patent. Thus, a variant of Arimaa also requires obtaining a commercial license or authorization. ======== Additional License Terms ======== The following additional terms apply in all cases when the Arimaa Public License is accepted. Acceptance ---------- Any use or distribution of Arimaa constitutes acceptance of this license and must be done in compliance with one of the three categories mentioned above. Sublicensing ------------ This license does not grant anyone the authority to sublicense Arimaa to another party. Also it does not give anyone the authority to grant a third party any rights over Arimaa. If a product or service provides its own license then the rights and limitations granted by that license apply only to that product or service and do not extend to the use or distribution of Arimaa. Non-exclusive ------------- Unless other stated in the written license, all rights granted are non-exclusive. Arimaa.com reserves the right to grant similar rights to others. Disclaimer of Warranty ---------------------- Arimaa.com makes no warranty of Arimaa as to its fitness for any particular purpose. Arimaa is provided on an "as is" basis and without warranty. Limitation of Liability ----------------------- Under no circumstances shall Arimaa.com or its owners, partners and affiliates be liable to anyone for any damages of any kind arising as a result of this license or the use or distribution of Arimaa. Jurisdiction ------------ Any action or suit relating to this license may be brought only in the courts of a jurisdiction which is in the state of Texas in the country United States of America.