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[[File:Oshw-logo.png|thumb|[[#Logo repository|The Open Source Hardware Logo]]]]
This page hosts the current proposed Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Statement of Principles and Definition v1.0.  The statement of principles is a high-level overview of the ideals of open-source hardware.  The definition is an attempt to apply those ideals to a standard by which to evaluate licenses for hardware designs.
This page hosts the current proposed Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Statement of Principles and Definition v1.0.  The statement of principles is a high-level overview of the ideals of open-source hardware.  The definition is an attempt to apply those ideals to a standard by which to evaluate licenses for hardware designs.


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If you would like to propose changes to the statement of principles or definition, please do so on the [[OSHW draft|work-in-progress draft]]. And, please edit while signed in, not anonymously.
If you would like to propose changes to the statement of principles or definition, please do so on the [[OSHW draft|work-in-progress draft]]. And, please edit while signed in, not anonymously.


''Please join the conversation about the definition [http://openhardwaresummit.org/forum here]''
''Please join the conversation about the definition [http://openhardwaresummit.org/forum here]''
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'''4. Derived Works'''
'''4. Derived Works'''


The license shall allow modifications and derived works, and shall allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original work.  The license shall allow for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of products created from the design files, the design files themselves, and derivatives therof.
The license shall allow modifications and derived works, and shall allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original work.  The license shall allow for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of products created from the design files, the design files themselves, and derivatives thereof.
   
   
'''5. Free redistribution'''
'''5. Free redistribution'''
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The below translations have been offered by members of the community and should be checked for accuracy and possible language problems.  
The below translations have been offered by members of the community and should be checked for accuracy and possible language problems.  


* [[OSHW/translations/latin|Latin]]
{{:OSHW/translations}}
* [[OSHW/translations/portuguese|Portuguese]]
* [[OSHW/translations/spanish|Spanish]]
* [[OSHW/translations/japanese|Japanese]]
* [[OSHW/translations/french|French]]
* [[OSHW/translations/italian|Italian]]


== Logo repository ==
== Logo repository ==


The open source hardware logo lives at [http://oshwlogo.com oshwlogo.com].
The open source hardware logo lives at [http://www.oshwa.org/open-source-hardware-logo/ oshwa.org].
 
== Endorsements ==
 
OSHW Draft Definition 1.0 has been endorsed by the following persons and/or organization as of {{REVISIONYEAR}}/{{REVISIONMONTH}}/{{REVISIONDAY}}.
 
Please feel free to add (''your own'' names) to this section. Listing your affiliation is optional for personal endorsements, and endorsements are presumed to be personal unless the organization name is listed separately.
 
''Please join the conversation about the definition [http://openhardwaresummit.org/forum here]''


* Abhimanyu Singh Udawat, [http://www.explorelabs.com/ Explore Labs]
{{:OSHW/endorsements}}
* Adam Mayer, [http://www.makerbot.com/ Makerbot Industries]
* Andrew Meyer
* Adam Wolf, [http://www.wayneandlayne.com Wayne and Layne]
* Addie Wagenknecht and Stefan Hechenberger [http://labs.nortd.com/ Nortd Labs]  [http://www.eyebeam.org Eyebeam]  [http://lasersaur.com/ Lasersaur]
* Akiba, [http://www.freaklabs.org/ FreakLabs]
* Alexander Ruiz [http://www.ingeniosolido.com Ingenio Sólido S.A.S]
* Alexis Sánchez [http://www.pinguino.org.ve PingüinoVE]
* Alicia Gibb [http://www.buglabs.net Bug Labs]
* Alok Prasad
* Amanda Wozniak, [http://www.ninjas.org/ Ninja Networks]
* Amon Millner [http://scratch.mit.edu/ Scratch & MIT], [http://www.olin.edu/ Olin College], and [http://modk.it/ Modkit]
* André Menks [http://multilogica-shop.com/ Multilógica-shop]
* Andrew Back [http://oshug.org Open Source Hardware User Group]
* Andrew Katz [http://www.moorcrofts.com Moorcrofts LLP]
* Andrew Plumb, [http://clothbot.com/wiki/Main_Page ClothBot Designs]
* Andrew Sliwinski [http://www.omnicorpdetroit.com/ OmniCorpDetroit]
* Andrew Stone, [http://www.toastedcircuits.com Toasted Circuits]
* Andy Gelme, [http://hackmelbourne.org Connected Community HackerSpace], Melbourne, Australia and [http://geekscape.org Geekscape Pty. Ltd.]
* Anil Kumar Pugalia ([http://profession.sarika-pugs.com Pugs' Passion])
* Asim Baig, [http://www.tinkeract.com/ Tinkeract]
* Ayah Bdeir, [http://www.littleBits.cc littleBits.cc]/[http://www.eyebeam.org Eyebeam]/[http://www.creativecommons.org Creative Commons]
* Bastian Bittorf [http://bittorf-wireless.de/ bittorf wireless ))]
* Benjamin Gaulon, [http://www.recyclism.com/ Recyclism]
* Ben Leduc-Mills [http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/~ctg/Craft_Tech.html Craft Technology Lab]
* Ben Lipkowitz, [http://gnusha.org/skdb/ SKDB] [http://reprap.org/ reprap]
* Bernard Pratz, [http://hackable-devices.org hackable:Devices]
* Bernt Weber, [http://www.splashelec.com/ Splashelec]
* Bhagyashri Sharangpani, [http://www.bhasha.co.cc/ Bhasha Technologies]
* Bill Shaw [http://inanimatereason.com/ Inanimate Reason]
* Boseji [http://m8051.blogspot.com Electronics For Bharat]|[http://adharlabs.in A.D.H.A.R Labs]
* Brandon Stafford, [http://rascalmicro.com Rascal Micro]
* Brett Hagman, [http://roguerobotics.com/ Rogue Robotics], [http://wiring.org.co/ Wiring]
* Bryan Bishop, [http://gnusha.org/skdb/ SKDB] [http://humanityplus.org/ Humanity+]
* Cécile Montagne, [http://open-devices.com open-devices]
* Carmen Gonzalez, [http://opensolarcircuits.cc] DreamAddictive
* Carmen Trudell [http://www.fluxxlab.com Fluxxlab]
* Carson Reynolds [http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/carson/carson-e.html University of Tokyo]
* Catarina Mota, [http://openmaterials.org openMaterials]
* Cathal Garvey, [http://www.indiebiotech.com Indie Biotech]
* Charles Collis, [http://www.adciv.org AdCiv.org]
* Charles Edward Pax, [http://www.makerbot.com/ Makerbot Industries]
* Charles Yarnold
* Chris Anderson, [http://www.diydrones.com/ 3D Robotics/DIY Drones]
* Chris Novello, [http://www.illucia.com/ illucia instruments]
* Chris Jefferies, Tinaja Labs
* Christopher Lee, [http://www.australianrobotics.com.au/ Australian Robotics]
* Chris Walker, [http://www.netduino.com Netduino] [http://www.secretlabs.com Secret Labs]
* Christian Siefkes, [http://www.keimform.de/ keimform.de]
* Constantin Craciun [http://harkopen.com/ Harkopen.com - open source hardware community]
* Dan Clark [http://gzero.org GroundZero Labs]
* Daniel Garcia [http://www.protostack.com Protostack]
* Daniel Reetz [http://www.diybookscanner.org DIY Book Scanner]
* Daniel Yucra [http://www.somoslibres.org SomosLibres.org Perú]
* Dave Borghuis [http://tkkrlab.nl TkkrLab hackerspace]
* Dave Hrynkiw [http://www.solarbotics.com/ Solarbotics Ltd.], [http://www.hvwtech.com/ HVW Technologies]
* David A. Mellis, [http://arduino.cc Arduino]
* David Ankers & James Cotton, [http://www.OpenPilot.org The OpenPilot Foundation]
* David Carrier, [http://www.parallax.com Parallax Inc.]
* David Cuartielles, [http://arduino.cc Arduino] [http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,52581.0.html OSHW_Spanish]
* David Gascón, [http://www.libelium.com Libelium], [http://www.cooking-hacks.com Cooking-Hacks]
* David L. Jones, [http://www.eevblog.com EEVblog]
* David Lang, [http://www.OpenROV.com OpenROV]
* David Reyes Samblás Martínez [http://www.tuxbrain.com/ Tuxbrain]
* Deepak Shrivastava
* Demetris Rouslan Zavorotnitsienko [http://www.gizmoforyou.com/ GizmoForYou]
* Henrik Denhart [http://denhart.dk Denhart]
* David Siren Eisner, [http://www.inmojo.com InMojo]
* Diego Spinola [http://www.hackeneering.com/ Hackeneering]
* Dilshan R Jayakody [http://jayakody.info jayakody.info]
* Dumitru Stama [http://dics.voicecontrol.ro/ dicsEE]
* Dustyn Roberts, [http://www.dustynrobots.com/ dustynrobots]
* Ed Minchau, [http://www.magicalrobotics.com/ Magical Robotics]
* Eric Anderson [http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~andersoe/ Carnegie Mellon University]
* Eric Boyd [http://www.sensebridge.net/ sensebridge]
* Eric Michaud [http://www.i11industries.com i11 Industries]
* Eric Thompson [http://lowvoltagelabs.com/ Low Voltage Labs]
* Federico Lucifredi [http://www.novell.com/linux/ SUSE Linux]
* Freddy Deniau
* Frédéric Jourdan, [http://shop.snootlab.com Snootlab]
* Frank Piller, [http://tim.rwth-aachen.de/ rwth-aachen university]
* Gabriella Levine, [https://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/protei/ Protei], [http://itp.nyu.edu/itp/ ITP]
* Geoffrey L. Barrows, [http://www.centeye.com Centeye, Inc.] and [http://www.embeddedeye.com Embedded Eye]
* George Hadley, [http://nbitwonder.com NBitWonder]
* Gilles Reyna
* Giovanni Lostumbo, [http://openwetware.org/wiki/User:Giovanni_Lostumbo GNUBioPhotoVoltaic]
* Graham Bicknell
* Greg Grossmeier, [http://grossmeier.net Open Evangelist]
* Greg Krsak
* Hélio Pereira
* Helio Ribeiro da Silva Filho
* Hans Scharler [http://iobridge.com ioBridge] [http://thingspeak.com ThingSpeak]
* Hong Phuc Dang [http://fossasia.org/ FOSSASIA]
* Ivan Jorge Boesing, [http://www.brfirst.org FIRST Brazil]
* J. Simmons [http://mach30.org/ Mach 30: Foundation for Space Development]
* Jakub Kákona, [http://www.mlab.cz MLAB] [http://www.ust.cz UST]
* James Grahame, [http://reflexaudio.com Reflex Audio] [http://meeblip.com MeeBlip]
* James Ronald [http://www.MiRobotClub.org/ Michigan Robot Club]
* Jason Huggins [http://bitbeam.org Bitbeam]
* Jason Veneman, [http://intelligenate.com Intelligenate]
* Jasmin Skenderi [http://www.alpha-board.de/ alpha-board Elektronik-Design und Fertigungsservice Berlin]
* Jatinderjit Singh, [http://www.embisys.com Embisys]
* Jayson Tautic, [http://www.tautic.com TAUTIC ELECTRONICS LLC]
* Jean Demartini, [http://www.demtech.net DEMTECH - Sophia-Antipolis - France]
* Jean-Marc Giacalone, [http://www.emakershop.com eMAKERshop]
* Jeff Karney [http://jkdevices.com JK Devices]
* Jeff Keyzer [http://mightyohm.com MightyOhm Engineering]
* Jeff Moe, [http://www.alephobjects.com/ Aleph Objects, Inc.]
* Jeff Saltzman, [http://jmsarduino.blogspot.com/ Jeff's Arduino Blog]
* Jeremy Blum, [http://www.jeremyblum.com/ JeremyBlum.com] [http://www.creativemachines.org Cornell University Creative Machines Lab]
* Jeremy Saglimbeni, [http://thecustomgeek.com/ thecustomgeek.com]
* Jim Barkley, [http://www.mitre.org/ The MITRE Corporation]
* Jimmie P. Rodgers [http://jimmieprodgers.com/ JimmiePRodgers.com]
* Joan Espinoza [http://www.pinguino.org.ve PingüinoVE]
* Joel Murphy [http://www.rachelselectronics.com/ Rachel's Electronics] [http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/mfa-design-technology/ Parsons D+T]
* John Tarbox [http://www.bitsconnect.com/ BitsConnect.com]
* John  Wilbanks, [http://www.creativecommons.org Creative Commons]
* John Lejeune, [http://hackable-devices.org h:D]
* John M. De Cristofaro
* Johnny Russell [http://ultimachine.com/ UltiMachine]
* Jon Kuniholm, [http://openprosthetics.ning.com/ The Open Prosthetics Project]
* Jon Masters [http://www.jonmasters.org/ www.jonmasters.org]
* Jonathan Dahan, [http://www.islandlabs.org/ Island Labs]
* Jonathan Oxer, [http://www.freetronics.com/ Freetronics]
* Jose M. de la Fuente [http://n00b0t.tikitake.com/ n00b0t]
* Joseph H Althaus
* Joseph Di Carlo
* Josef Průša [http://josefprusa.cz] RepRap developer
* Josh Boughey [http://www.soundwidgets.com The Stribe Project]
* Joshua D. Johnson [http://sites.google.com/site/protobotindustries/ Protobot Industries] physical prototyper/inventor
* Juan Gonzalez-Gomez [http://www.iearobotics.com/ Iearobotics.com] Researcher on robotics
* Juergen Neumann, [http://www.ohanda.org/ OHANDA - Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance]
* Julien Rouviere, [http://openscb.org/ OpenSCB]
* Kevin Townsend, [http://www.microbuilder.eu/ www.microBuilder.eu]
* Koichi Takagi, [http://www.nagoya-cu.ac.jp/ Nagoya City University]
* Lenore Edman, [http://evilmadscience.com/ Evil Mad Science]
* Limor Fried, [http://www.adafruit.com/ Adafruit Industries]
* Leah Buechley, [http://hlt.media.mit.edu/ MIT Media Lab, High-Low Tech]
* Leslie Garcia, [http://opensolarcircuits.cc/ DreamAddictive]
* Louis Montagne, [http://bearstech.com Bearstech]
* Lubos Medovarsky, [http://accelera-networks.com Accelera Networks]
* Luigi Carnevale, [http://www.droids.it/ Droids]
* Marcus A. Link [http://www.manupool.de Manupool - A Product Development Community]
* Mario Behling, [http://mbm.vn/ MBM]
* Mark McComb, [http://www.hacktronics.com/ hacktronics]
* Massimo Banzi [http://www.arduino.cc Arduino]
* Matthew Beckler, [http://www.wayneandlayne.com Wayne and Layne]
* Matthew Slater [http://communityforge.net Community Forge]
* Matthieu Quadrini [http://openscb.org OpenSCB]
* Michael Krumpus [http://nootropicdesign.com/ nootropic design]
* Michael McPherson
* Michael Ossmann, [http://greatscottgadgets.com/ Great Scott Gadgets]
* Michael Ruppe
* Mike Provenzano, Progunn Industries
* Mitch Altman [http://cornfieldelectronics.com/ Cornfield Electronics]
* Mitch Patterson(mitpatterson) [http://mitchstechblog.wordpress.com/ Mitch's Tech Blog]
* Morgaine Dinova [[User:Morgaine_Dinova|[1]]], lecturer and consultant
* Moritz von Buttlar [http://www.opensource-solar.org/ Opensource-Solar]
* Morten I. Larsen
* Nathan Seidle [http://www.sparkfun.com SparkFun Electronics]
* Nicholas C Lewis [http://reprapbreeding.blogspot.com/ A RepRap Breeding Program]
* Nicolas Lassabe [http://www.artilect.fr Artilect FabLab Toulouse]
* Noel Bautista [http://www.makerdude.com Maker Dude]
* Nis Sarup
* Patrick Korkuch
* Pavol Rusnak, [http://brmlab.cz hackerspace brmlab]
* Peter Kirn, [http://createdigitalmusic.com Create Digital Music] [http://meeblip.com MeeBlip]
* Phillip Torrone, [http://www.makezine.com/ MAKE magazine] [http://www.adafruit.com/ Adafruit Industries]
* Pierce Nichols [http://logos-electro.com Logos Electromechanical LLC]
* Pierrick Boissard [http://igrebot.fr/ I-Grebot robotics association]
* Pip Jones [http://www.deepend.com.au Deepend]
* Rafael Barmak [http://www.ovnilab.com.br OVNI Lab]
* Raphaël Rousseau [http://www.atelierlaser.com Atelier Laser]
* Raúl Oviedo [http://ayudaelectronica.com/ Ingenieria Electronica]
* Raghavan Nagabhirava
* Richard Anderson [http://fubarlabs.com Fair Use Building and Research Labs]
* Robert Fitzsimons [http://partfusion.com/ Part Fusion Electronics]
* Ronen Kadushin [http://www.ronen-kadushin.com/Open_Design.asp Open Design]
* Ron K. Jeffries, Jeffries Research
* Roy Mohan Shearer, [http://www.openthing.org/ Openthing]
* R. Scott Plunkett, [http://www.openqi.com/ The OpenQi Project]
* Ryan Pulkrabek, [http://cstart.org/ Collaborative Space Travel and Research Team (CSTART)]
* Samuel Sayer, [http://www.mitre.org The MITRE Corporation]
* Samuel Vale, [http://holoscopio.com Holoscópio Tecnologia]
* Sascha Meinrath, [http://oti.newamerica.net/ Open Technology Initiative]
* Scot Kornak, [http://www.busboard.us/ BusBoard Prototype Systems Ltd.]
* Shannon Morrisey
* Shigeru Kobayashi [http://www.iamas.ac.jp/E/index.html IAMAS] [http://funnel.cc Funnel] [http://gainer.cc Gainer]
* Stacy L. Devino, [http://doesitpew.blogspot.com/ Does it Pew?][http://www.stacydevino.com/ aka childofthehorn]
* Sterling Pickens, [http://www.linuxsociety.org/ linuxsociety]
* Steve Dickie, [http://www.arduinoeducation.com/ ArduinoEducation.com]
* Steve Gifford, [http://www.chipstobits.com Chips To Bits]
* Steve Hoefer [http://grathio.com/ Grathio Labs]
* Stewart Dickson [http://makerspaceu.org  Makerspace-Urbana]
* Tassos Natsakis [http://kuleuven.be KU Leuven]
* Terry King, [http://www.arduino-direct.com/sunshop/ YourDuino.com]
* Theodore Ullrich, [http://tomorrow-lab.com Tomorrow Lab™]
* Thomas Gokey, [http://thomasgokey.com/ artist]
* Tom Igoe, [http://www.arduino.cc Arduino] [http://itp.nyu.edu ITP, NYU]
* Tomasz Młoduchowski [http://www.xlogic.pl XLogic] [http://blattaria.co.uk Blattaria, Ltd.]
* Tully Gehan, [http://samuraicircuits.com/ Samurai Circuits]
* Tuomo Tammenpää, [http://www.ohanda.org/ OHANDA - Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance]
* Usman Haque, [http://www.pachube.com/ Pachube]
* Vlad Trifa, [http://www.webofthings.com Web of Things] [http://vladtrifa.com ETH Zurich]
* Will Pickering, [http://www.FunGizmos.com FunGizmos]
* William Morris, [http://www.iheartrobotics.com I Heart Robotics]/[http://www.iheartengineering.com I Heart Engineering]
* Wim Vandeputte, [http://kd85.com kd85]
* Windell Oskay, [http://evilmadscience.com/ Evil Mad Science]
* Yannick Avelino, [http://www.electrolab.fr/ Electrolab]
* Ramón Martínez, [http://www.tenderoo.com/ Tenderoo Mobile Payment]
* Gregor Gross [http://www.alpha-board.de/ alpha-board Elektronik-Design und Fertigungsservice Berlin]
* Joseph Gray [http://www.911media.org/ 911 Media Arts Center, Seattle] [http://projbox.org projBox]
* Viento [http://flydendeby.dk/ Floating City Copenhagen]
* Cesar Harada [http://protei.org/ Protei, sailing drones]
* Glyn Hudson, Trystan Lea and Suneil Tagore [http://openenergymonitor.org OpenEnergyMonitor]
* Pete Prodoehl [http://rasterweb.net/raster/ RasterWeb!]
* Nuri Erginer [http://www.gnexlab.com/ gnexlab]
* Darsh Shah [http://darshshah.blogspot.com/ Blog]
* Ravichandra Seveelavanan [http://www.LZRDM.org/ LZRDM]

Latest revision as of 16:27, 31 August 2024

The Open Source Hardware Logo

This page hosts the current proposed Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Statement of Principles and Definition v1.0. The statement of principles is a high-level overview of the ideals of open-source hardware. The definition is an attempt to apply those ideals to a standard by which to evaluate licenses for hardware designs.

To endorse the Open Source Hardware Definition 1.0, please add your name (and affiliation) below.

Older drafts of the definition are also available.

Compiled community feedback from previous versions of the Definition can be found here

If you would like to propose changes to the statement of principles or definition, please do so on the work-in-progress draft. And, please edit while signed in, not anonymously.

Please join the conversation about the definition here

Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Statement of Principles 1.0[edit]

Open source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or hardware based on that design. The hardware's source, the design from which it is made, is available in the preferred format for making modifications to it. Ideally, open source hardware uses readily-available components and materials, standard processes, open infrastructure, unrestricted content, and open-source design tools to maximize the ability of individuals to make and use hardware. Open source hardware gives people the freedom to control their technology while sharing knowledge and encouraging commerce through the open exchange of designs.

Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Definition 1.0[edit]

OSHW Draft Definition 1.0 is based on the Open Source Definition for Open Source Software and draft OSHW definition 0.5. The definition is derived from the Open Source Definition, which was created by Bruce Perens and the Debian developers as the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Videos and Documentation of the Opening Hardware workshop which kicked off the below definition are available here. Please join the conversation about the definition here

Introduction

Open Source Hardware (OSHW) is a term for tangible artifacts -- machines, devices, or other physical things -- whose design has been released to the public in such a way that anyone can make, modify, distribute, and use those things. This definition is intended to help provide guidelines for the development and evaluation of licenses for Open Source Hardware.

Hardware is different from software in that physical resources must always be committed for the creation of physical goods. Accordingly, persons or companies producing items ("products") under an OSHW license have an obligation to make it clear that such products are not manufactured, sold, warrantied, or otherwise sanctioned by the original designer and also not to make use of any trademarks owned by the original designer.

The distribution terms of Open Source Hardware must comply with the following criteria:

1. Documentation

The hardware must be released with documentation including design files, and must allow modification and distribution of the design files. Where documentation is not furnished with the physical product, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining this documentation for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, preferably downloading via the Internet without charge. The documentation must include design files in the preferred format for making changes, for example the native file format of a CAD program. Deliberately obfuscated design files are not allowed. Intermediate forms analogous to compiled computer code -- such as printer-ready copper artwork from a CAD program -- are not allowed as substitutes. The license may require that the design files are provided in fully-documented, open format(s).

2. Scope

The documentation for the hardware must clearly specify what portion of the design, if not all, is being released under the license.

3. Necessary Software

If the licensed design requires software, embedded or otherwise, to operate properly and fulfill its essential functions, then the license may require that one of the following conditions are met:

a) The interfaces are sufficiently documented such that it could reasonably be considered straightforward to write open source software that allows the device to operate properly and fulfill its essential functions. For example, this may include the use of detailed signal timing diagrams or pseudocode to clearly illustrate the interface in operation.

b) The necessary software is released under an OSI-approved open source license.

4. Derived Works

The license shall allow modifications and derived works, and shall allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original work. The license shall allow for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of products created from the design files, the design files themselves, and derivatives thereof.

5. Free redistribution

The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the project documentation. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale. The license shall not require any royalty or fee related to the sale of derived works.

6. Attribution

The license may require derived documents, and copyright notices associated with devices, to provide attribution to the licensors when distributing design files, manufactured products, and/or derivatives thereof. The license may require that this information be accessible to the end-user using the device normally, but shall not specify a specific format of display. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original design.

7. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

8. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the work (including manufactured hardware) in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it must not restrict the hardware from being used in a business, or from being used in nuclear research.

9. Distribution of License

The rights granted by the license must apply to all to whom the work is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.

10. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product

The rights granted by the license must not depend on the licensed work being part of a particular product. If a portion is extracted from a work and used or distributed within the terms of the license, all parties to whom that work is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted for the original work.

11. License Must Not Restrict Other Hardware or Software

The license must not place restrictions on other items that are aggregated with the licensed work but not derivative of it. For example, the license must not insist that all other hardware sold with the licensed item be open source, nor that only open source software be used external to the device.

12. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology, specific part or component, material, or style of interface or use thereof.


Afterword

The signatories of this Open Source Hardware definition recognize that the open source movement represents only one way of sharing information. We encourage and support all forms of openness and collaboration, whether or not they fit this definition.

Licenses and Hardware[edit]

In promoting Open Hardware, it is important to make it clear to designers the extent to which their licenses actually can control their designs. Under U.S. law, and law in many other places, copyright does not apply to electronic designs. Patents do. The result is that an Open Hardware license can in general be used to restrict the plans but not the manufactured devices or even restatements of the same design that are not textual copies of the original. The applicable section of copyright law is 17.102(b), which says:

In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.

Translations[edit]

The below translations have been offered by members of the community and should be checked for accuracy and possible language problems.

(Edit)

Logo repository[edit]

The open source hardware logo lives at oshwa.org.

Endorsements[edit]

OSHW Draft Definition 1.0 has been endorsed by the following persons and/or organization as of 2024/08/31.

Please feel free to add (your own) name to this section. Listing your affiliation is optional for personal endorsements, and endorsements are presumed to be personal unless the organization name is listed separately.

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