Source Available License (SAL) FAQs
What is the Gretel.ai Source Available License (SAL)?
A source available license gives access to source code, but places restrictions on its use. The Gretel.ai SAL allows largely unrestricted use of some of our proprietary software at no charge for internal business purposes and for non-commercial academic, research and other personal use. You may also make modifications and derivatives, but you may not distribute the software (or your modifications or derivatives) in any form to third parties or use them to provide a service to third parties (e.g., by providing a hosted service or product that uses the software).
Why is Gretel.ai changing its licensing model from open source to source available for certain projects?
Our software delivers substantial value to our customers but requires significant development and support resources. This change to the licensing model for some of our software, which was previously provided as open source software under the Apache 2.0 license, allows us to continue making source code generally available to the public for all features while selectively charging for features based on certain use cases.
In all cases, (a) the Gretel.ai SAL will only apply prospectively and the changes here do not affect prior versions of software that were licensed under the Apache 2.0 license and (b) any third party open source components remain licensed under their original license.
How can I identify code licensed as source available under the SAL?
When the Gretel.ai Source Available LICENSE file appears at the root of a repository, the SAL applies to all source code within the repository. A note in the README.md often identifies the use of the SAL and links to this FAQ.
When the Gretel.ai Source Available LICENSE file appears in a specific directory, the SAL applies to all source code within that directory.
For additional clarity, additional notices may appear on the relevant GitHub repository pages.
To which software and repositories does this SAL apply?
Initially, the Gretel.ai SAL will be applied to Gretel Synthetics, starting with version 0.19.0, and Gretel Trainer, starting with version 0.3.0. Currently, Gretel.ai expects to keep other code, such as the Gretel Python client and Gretel Blueprints under open source licenses, typically the Apache 2.0 license. If Gretel.ai applies the SAL to new projects or other existing projects, they will be identified as such and where applicable changes noted in the README.md file of the GitHub repository.
Can I contribute to your open source and source available projects?
Yes. Gretel.ai welcomes contributions. As with all Gretel.ai repositories, you will need to sign the Gretel.ai CLA. Contributions will not be accepted without a signed CLA. Please see here for more information.
Can I avoid the license restrictions if I modify or make derivatives of your software?
No. The Gretel.ai SAL applies to modifications and derivatives. Gretel.ai wants to make source code available for these projects to give you freedom to experiment and implement them in a way that works for you, but not to commercialize them. If you need to negotiate a different license, please ask us.
Can you provide some examples of what is / not permitted when you say the software may only be used for "internal business purposes"? For example, if our company wants to use the software to generate, transform or classify data so we can improve our products, is that allowed?
At a high level, "internal business purposes" means the software can be used for your own business needs. If you want to generate synthetic data based on your data, including customer data (with permission, of course), to internally train a machine learning model used in your product, that is an acceptable purpose. Similarly, let's say you need to analyze data for personal information (and/or anonymize it) to comply with your privacy/security obligations. You may use the software for those purposes. What you cannot do, as detailed in the restrictions to the SAL, is use the software (including as modified by you) to give or sell to others. As such, you cannot use the software to create / transform / classify data to be used by others. Along the same lines, you cannot generate data to train someone else's machine learning model for them.
Is this a legal document?
No. This FAQ is for informational purposes only. The Gretel.ai SAL stands on its own, and this FAQ does not affect its meaning.
Where can I find the full text of the Gretel.ai SAL?
The full text of the SAL can be found here. You will also find it reproduced in the license files for applicable software on Gretel.ai’s GitHub repositories.
What if I have additional questions?
If you have any questions about the Gretel.ai SAL, please contact Gretel.ai at hi@gretel.ai.
Contributor License Agreement (CLA) FAQs
What is a Contributor License Agreement (CLA)?
A CLA is a legal document that outlines the rights granted and retained with respect to a person’s or entity’s contributions. It is common practice for open source projects to require CLAs before an individual or entity can contribute code to a project.
Why does Gretel.ai ask contributors to sign its CLA?
Gretel.ai requires a signed CLA before contributions are made to Gretel.ai projects to make sure that Gretel.ai and other licensees and users of its open source and other software, products and services are legally entitled to use your contributed code and that you had the right to make the contribution.
Can I keep my copyright and patent rights in my contributions?
Yes. Under the CLA, you are only granting Gretel.ai a non-exclusive license under your copyrights and patent rights in your contributions.
This means you retain ownership of your intellectual property rights in your contributions, including copyright and patent rights, and have the same rights to use, distribute or license your contributions that you would have had without entering into the CLA. This includes making your contributions available to other projects or organizations as you wish.
Can I withdraw permission to use my contributions later?
No. Once you have provided a contribution, you cannot withdraw permission for its use. Gretel.ai’s open source and other software, products and services are intended to be used and distributed as widely as possible. To do this with confidence, Gretel.ai needs to ensure the continuing existence and availability of the code.
Can I submit code that is not my own?
Yes, but there are some considerations. By signing our CLA, you represent that all the code you contribute is your original creation. If you wish to submit code that is not your original creation, you must first get written permission from the owner of that code to submit it to Gretel.ai under the CLA. Submission of such third-party code must be separate from any contribution and follow the requirements set forth in Section 8 of the CLA.
As with all submissions, Gretel.ai is not obligated to accept a contribution and for third-party code may require the owner of the code to make their own submission under the CLA.
Can I submit code I developed as part of my job?
Code developed as part of your employment may not belong to you. It may be owned by your employer. If you have signed the CLA as an individual, but your employer has not signed one, be very careful about submitting code you have developed. Gretel.ai cannot accept code that belongs to your employer unless they have signed the CLA. Similarly, if you developed code as part of a consulting engagement, make sure you and the person or entity that hired you understand who owns the rights to the code. The CLA is a legal declaration by you that you have the right to grant the specified licenses for your contributions. Only submit code if you are entitled to make those license grants.
Do I have to sign a CLA for each Gretel.ai project?
Generally, no. The CLA covers all Gretel.ai projects. However, there may be circumstances in which Gretel.ai may ask you to sign the CLA again, such as if Gretel.ai is not able to match up the identifying information in the CLA with your GitHub handle or email address when you make a submission.
Is this a legal document?
No. This FAQ is for informational purposes only. The Gretel.ai Contributor License Agreement stands on its own, and this FAQ does not affect its meaning.
Where can I find the full text of the CLA?
The full text of the CLA can be found here.
What if I have additional questions?
If you have any questions about the CLA, please contact Gretel.ai at hi@gretel.ai.