This repository contains the official text, header, and supporting materials for the Fabricators Public Access License (FPAL) v1.0.
FPAL was created to address a specific need: enabling public code access, collaboration, and transparency without exposing core product concepts and business models to replication or exploitation. While inspired by open source principles, FPAL is not an OSI-approved license and includes specific limitations on use to protect the identity, integrity, and sustainability of the licensed project.
This license allows anyone to:
- Inspect and audit the source code
- Use and modify it for educational and non-commercial purposes
- Contribute improvements back to the project
- Build derivative software for unrelated purposes
However, it restricts the use of the software to create or operate substantially similar products or services that replicate the licensed project's core function or business intent.
This repository includes two license variants:
LICENSE.md: the base FPAL licenseLICENSE-TCV.md: a timed conversion variant that includes a clause (6b) converting the license to a fully OSI-approved one (e.g. MPL 2.0) after 5 years from the initial release, regardless of trademark status
To indicate use of FPAL in source files, add one of the following headers:
Copyright (c) 2025 FABRICATORS S.R.L.
Licensed under the Fabricators Public Access License (FPAL) v1.0
See https://github.com/fabricatorsltd/FPAL for details.Copyright (c) 2025 FABRICATORS S.R.L.
Licensed under the Fabricators Public Access License (FPAL-TCV) v1.0.
See https://github.com/fabricatorsltd/FPAL/blob/main/LICENSE-TCV.md for details.
To adopt FPAL for your own software project, copy the license text from LICENSE.md, replace the placeholders with your project-specific details (such as project name, copyright holder, and contact email), and include it in your repository.
For questions or clarification, contact: fpal@fabricators.ltd
© 2025 FABRICATORS S.R.L. All rights reserved.