OSHW

Definition version 0.1

Open-source hardware is that for which its designer:

• provides design files (in the preferred format for making modifications to them)
• allows the modification and redistribution of the design files
• allows the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of devices from the design files or modifications of the design files

without discrimination against persons, groups, or fields of endeavor. Additionally, the designer must publish any documentation and release under an open-source license any software it has developed that is essential to the proper functioning of the device.

The designer may require others to:

• provide attribution when distributing design files based on the original designer's
• provide attribution when manufacturing devices based on the original designer's design files or derivatives thereof
• release as open-source hardware devices based on the original designer's design files or derivatives thereof

Manufacturers of a derivative device must not:

• imply that the device is manufactured, tested, warrantied, guaranteed, or otherwise sanctioned by the original designer
• make use of any trademarks owned by the original designer without explicit permission

We recognize that open-source is only one way of sharing information about hardware and encourage and support all forms of openness and collaboration, whether or not they fit this definition.

Definition version 0.2 (work in progress)

The designer of open-source hardware will:

   * provide design files (in the preferred format for making modifications to them)
   * allow the modification and redistribution of the design files
   * allow the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of devices from the design files or modifications of the design files 
   * publish any documentation and release under an open-source license any software it has developed that is essential to the proper functioning of the device

without discrimination against persons, groups, or fields of endeavor.

The designer may require others to:

   * provide attribution when distributing design files based on the original designer's
   * provide attribution when manufacturing devices based on the original designer's design files or derivatives thereof
   * release as open-source hardware devices based on the original designer's design files or derivatives thereof 

Manufacturers of a derivative device must not:

   * imply that the device is manufactured, tested, warrantied, guaranteed, or otherwise sanctioned by the original designer
   * make use of any trademarks owned by the original designer without explicit permission 

Disclaimer: We recognize that open-source is only one way of sharing information about hardware and encourage and support all forms of openness and collaboration, whether or not they fit this definition.

Definition version 0.3 (work in progress)

OSHW draft definition 0.3 is based on the Open Source Definition for Open Source Software and draft OSHW definition 0.2, further incorporating ideas from the TAPR Open Hardware License.

Introduction

Open Source Hardware (OSHW), or simply "open hardware," 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 hardware.

It is important to note that 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 not to imply that such products are 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 form for which a hardware developer would modify the design. Deliberately obfuscated design files are not allowed. Intermediate forms such as printed artwork from a CAD program are not allowed as substitutes.

2. Necessary Software

If the hardware requires software, embedded or otherwise, to operate properly and fulfill its essential functions, then the documentation requirement must also include at least of the following: The necessary software, released under an open source license, or other sufficient documentation 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.

3. Derived Works

The license must explicitly allow for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of products created from the design files and for the for the manufacture, sale, distribution, of derivative products created from modifications to those design files. The license must allow these products and derivative works to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original hardware.

4. Integrity of The Original Design

The license may restrict design files and other documentation from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of "patch files" for the purpose of modifying the design into a derivative work. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original design.

5. Attribution

The license may require derived works to provide attribution to the original designer when distributing design files, manufactured products, and/or derivatives thereof.

6. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

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

7. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

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

8. Distribution of License

The rights attached to the hardware must apply to all to whom the product or documentation is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.

9. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product

The rights attached to the hardware must not depend on the hardware being part of a particular larger product. If the hardware is extracted from that product and used or distributed within the terms of the hardware license, all parties to whom the hardware is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original distribution.

10. License Must Not Restrict Other Hardware or Software

The license must not place restrictions on other hardware or software that is distributed along with the licensed hardware. For example, the license must not insist that all other hardware sold at the same time be open source, nor that only open source software be used in conjunction with the hardware.

11. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface.

Signatories of version 0.1

The following people have endorsed this definition of open-source hardware:

• David A. Mellis, MIT Media Lab and Arduino
• Limor Fried, Adafruit Industries
• Phillip Torrone, Adafruit Industries and Senior Editor - MAKE magazine
• Chris Anderson, DIY Drones and Editor in Chief --WIRED Magazine
• Massimo Banzi, Arduino and Tinker it!
• Ken Gilmer, Bug Labs
• Jonathan Kuniholm, Open Prosthetics Project/Shared Design Alliance
• John Wilbanks, Creative Commons
• Zach Smith / Bre Pettis / Adam Mayer, MakerBot Industries
• Nathan Seidle, SparkFun Electronics
• Alicia Gibb, Bug Labs
• Russell Nelson, Open Source Initiative
• David Cuartielles, Arduino and Malmo University

Participants

This definition originated with discussion between attendees of the Opening Hardware workshop at Eyebeam (New York City), March 17, 2010, in particular (listed alphabetically by first name):

• Alicia Gibb, Bug Labs
• Ayah Bdeir, Eyebeam
• Benjamin Mako Hill, MIT
• Bunnie Huang, Chumby
• Chris Anderson, Wired Magazine and DIY Drones
• David A. Mellis, MIT Media Lab and Arduino
• Gianluca Martino, Arduino
• John Wilbanks, Creative Commons
• Jonathan Kuniholm, Open Prosthetics Project/Shared Design Alliance
• Ken Gilmer, Bug Labs
• Ken Gracey, Parallax
• Limor Fried, Adafruit Industries
• Massimo Banzi, Arduino
• Nathan Seidle, SparkFun
• Phillip Torrone, Make and Adafruit Industries
• Thinh Nguyen, Creative Commons
• Tom Igoe, ITP and Arduino
• Zach Smith, MakerBot

These people haven't necessarily endorsed the definition, but all had a hand in helping to draft it.