SympLab Licensing Modèle

Copyright (C) 2026 Hugo Jiménez-Pérez contact

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0

This document defines the licensing policy of the SympLab project.

It establishes the distinction between source code, scientific documentation, specifications, examples, and other project assets.

The purpose of this policy is to preserve the openness of the SympLab scientific ecosystem while maintaining clear authorship and licensing boundaries.

1. Licensing Principles

SympLab distinguishes between scientific knowledge, software implementation, and project identity.

The licensing model reflects this separation.

    flowchart TD

    Knowledge["Scientific Knowledge"]
    Specification["Scientific Specification"]
    Implementation["Software Implementation"]
    Identity["Project Identity"]

    Documentation["Documentation"]
    Schemas["JSON Schemas"]
    Examples["JSON Examples"]
    Source["Source Code"]
    Trademark["Names and Trademarks"]

    Knowledge --> Documentation
    Specification --> Schemas
    Specification --> Examples
    Implementation --> Source
    Identity --> Trademark

The fundamental principle is:

Scientific knowledge should remain open. Software implementations should remain open. Project identity remains separately protected.

Licensing is therefore assigned according to the nature and purpose of each artifact rather than according to its location in the repository.

2. Source Code

All SympLab source code authored as part of the project is licensed under:

GNU Affero General Public License, version 3 or any later version (AGPL-3.0-or-later).

The complete license text is provided in the repository as:

AGPL-3.0-or-later.txt

Source files should identify the license using the following SPDX identifier:

SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later

The standard copyright header for source files is:

Copyright (C) 2026 [Your Name] <your@email.example>
SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later

The copyright holder may change as ownership of the relevant work changes or additional copyright holders become established.

3. Why AGPL?

SympLab is designed primarily as a networked scientific application.

The AGPL is therefore used to ensure that the freedom provided by the project is preserved not only when software is redistributed, but also when modified versions are made available for interaction over a network.

The project intentionally does not use a permissive software license such as MIT, BSD, or Apache 2.0 for the SympLab core.

A modified proprietary implementation of SympLab should not be able to become a closed derivative solely because it is operated as a network service.

The AGPL is therefore a fundamental part of the SympLab open-source strategy.

4. Documentation

SympLab documentation is licensed under:

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The documentation includes, where applicable:

  • conceptual documentation;
  • architectural documentation;
  • technical documentation;
  • implementation guidelines;
  • scientific explanations;
  • diagrams;
  • textual specifications;
  • documentation examples.

The documentation is considered an integral part of the SympLab architecture.

This follows the Documentation Charter:

Documentation describes concepts before implementations.

The documentation therefore represents a body of scientific and architectural knowledge rather than merely a software manual.

Documentation authored as part of SympLab should normally use the following header:

Copyright (C) 2026 [Your Name] <your@email.example>
SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0

The copyright holder may change as ownership of the relevant work changes or additional copyright holders become established.

The Creative Commons license grants permission to share and adapt the documentation under its terms.

In particular, the ShareAlike requirement is intended to ensure that substantial adaptations remain part of the same open documentation commons.

6. Documentation and Source Code Are Separate Works

The fact that documentation describes source code does not make the documentation source code.

Likewise, source code implementing a documented concept does not become documentation merely because its purpose is described by a Markdown document.

The two licensing domains are therefore independent:

    flowchart LR

    Documentation["Documentation\nCC BY-SA 4.0"]

    Specification["Specification\nCC BY-SA 4.0"]

    Source["Source Code\nAGPL-3.0-or-later"]

    Documentation -->|describes| Specification
    Specification -->|defines requirements for| Source

The documentation may describe APIs, models, engines, services, schemas, or other implementation concepts while remaining independently licensed.

7. JSON Schemas

JSON Schemas define the normative serialized representation of SympLab objects.

They are independent of any programming language or software implementation.

The project currently treats schemas as part of the scientific and interoperability specification rather than as executable source code.

Therefore, JSON Schemas are licensed under:

CC BY-SA 4.0

unless a particular schema explicitly states a different license.

This distinction reflects the architectural principle that:

The implementation is not the specification.

The schema defines the exchange contract; software implementations realize that contract. JSON Schemas are intended to permit independent implementations in Python, Julia, Rust, C++, JavaScript, and other languages.

8. JSON Examples

JSON examples accompanying the schemas are considered part of the SympLab specification and documentation when they serve as normative or illustrative scientific examples.

Such examples are licensed under:

CC BY-SA 4.0

unless otherwise marked.

Examples may simultaneously serve as:

  • documentation;
  • schema examples;
  • regression-test resources;
  • integration resources;
  • package examples.

Every example must remain valid with respect to its corresponding schema.

This role is consistent with the SympLab schema architecture, in which examples are explicitly treated as part of the specification.

9. Mermaid Diagrams

Mermaid diagrams contained in SympLab documentation are part of the documentation in which they appear.

Unless otherwise indicated, they are therefore licensed under:

CC BY-SA 4.0

The Documentation Charter defines Mermaid as the preferred notation for conceptual diagrams and considers diagrams part of the conceptual model.

10. Third-Party Materials

SympLab may contain or depend upon material created by third parties.

Third-party material is not automatically covered by the SympLab license.

Examples include:

  • software dependencies;
  • third-party source code;
  • fonts;
  • images;
  • scientific datasets;
  • external documentation;
  • icons;
  • generated material incorporating third-party content.

Each such component remains subject to its original license or applicable terms.

Third-party licenses must be preserved where required.

A component whose license is incompatible with the applicable SympLab licensing requirements must not be incorporated into the project without an explicit licensing decision.

11. Dependencies

Software dependencies remain under their respective licenses.

The AGPL license of SympLab does not relicence third-party dependencies.

The repository should therefore maintain an accurate record of relevant third-party licenses.

Where practical, dependency information should identify:

  • package name;
  • version;
  • license;
  • source;
  • applicable notices or attribution requirements.

The licensing of dependencies must be considered when adding or replacing dependencies.

12. Scientific Content

Scientific concepts expressed in SympLab documentation are intended to form part of an open scientific knowledge commons.

The CC BY-SA licensing of documentation permits:

  • sharing;
  • copying;
  • redistribution;
  • translation;
  • adaptation;
  • incorporation into educational material;
  • incorporation into derivative scientific documentation;

subject to the terms of CC BY-SA 4.0.

Scientific facts, mathematical principles, and generally known scientific knowledge are not claimed as proprietary SympLab assets merely because they are described by SympLab.

The license applies to the copyrightable expression contained in the project materials.

13. Scientific Definitions and SympPrints

SympPrints represent scientific definitions independently of software implementations.

A SympPrint describes science rather than software.

    flowchart TD

    ScientificConcept["Scientific Concept"]

    SympPrint["SympPrint"]

    Implementation["Implementation"]

    ScientificConcept --> SympPrint
    SympPrint -->|implemented by| Implementation

SympPrint specifications and their human-readable descriptions are therefore part of the scientific specification and documentation domain.

Unless otherwise stated, their documentation and specification are licensed under:

CC BY-SA 4.0

An implementation of a SympPrint is software and is therefore subject to the applicable software license.

This preserves the distinction between:

  • the scientific identity of a component;
  • its serialized representation;
  • and its executable implementation.

14. Repository-Level Licensing

The repository contains multiple types of artifacts with different licensing purposes.

The intended high-level organization is:

    flowchart TD

    SympLab["SympLab Project"]

    Code["Source Code"]
    Docs["Documentation"]
    Schemas["JSON Schemas"]
    Examples["JSON Examples"]
    ThirdParty["Third-Party Materials"]
    Identity["Project Identity"]

    SympLab --> Code
    SympLab --> Docs
    SympLab --> Schemas
    SympLab --> Examples
    SympLab --> ThirdParty
    SympLab --> Identity

    Code --> AGPL["AGPL-3.0-or-later"]
    Docs --> CC["CC BY-SA 4.0"]
    Schemas --> CC
    Examples --> CC

    ThirdParty --> Existing["Original License"]
    Identity --> Separate["Separate Identity / Trademark Policy"]

The location of a file in the repository does not, by itself, determine its license.

The nature of the work must be considered.

Licensing and copyright ownership are separate matters.

The publication of SympLab under an open-source or open-content license does not transfer copyright ownership.

Unless a separate written agreement states otherwise, copyright in original works authored by an individual remains with their respective copyright holder.

The initial SympLab source code and documentation are authored by:

Hugo Jiménez-Pérez

with copyright beginning in 2026.

The association, project, or community may receive rights to use, distribute, maintain, or contribute to SympLab without automatically becoming the copyright owner of previously authored works.

Any transfer or assignment of copyright must be documented separately.

16. Contributions

Contributions to SympLab must respect the licensing requirements of the component to which they are contributed.

A contributor must have the necessary rights to submit their contribution.

Unless a separate contribution agreement states otherwise, contributions to source code are intended to be distributed under:

AGPL-3.0-or-later

Contributions to documentation and specifications are intended to be distributed under:

CC BY-SA 4.0

The project may introduce a formal Contributor License Agreement (CLA) or another contribution agreement in the future.

Such an agreement, if adopted, will be documented separately and will not retroactively alter the ownership of existing works unless explicitly agreed.

17. Project Name and Identity

The copyright and software licenses do not automatically grant permission to use the SympLab project name, logos, or other project identity elements in any manner.

The following concepts are therefore distinct:

    flowchart LR

    Copyright["Copyright"]

    SoftwareLicense["Software License"]

    ContentLicense["Content License"]

    Trademark["Project Identity"]

    Copyright --> SoftwareLicense
    Copyright --> ContentLicense
    Trademark -. "separate rights" .- SoftwareLicense

A separate trademark and project-identity policy may be established for:

  • SympLab;
  • SympLab logos;
  • official project marks;
  • Pléctika marks;
  • names used to identify official releases or services.

Until such a policy is established, users should not imply official endorsement by the SympLab project or Pléctika without permission.

18. Patents

The open-source licensing strategy does not itself constitute a patent policy.

Potentially patentable inventions must be evaluated independently of copyright and software licensing.

In particular, publication of technical or scientific material may affect the possibility of obtaining patent protection in some jurisdictions.

If a SympLab component is considered potentially patentable, publication decisions should therefore be made before public disclosure of the relevant invention.

Any patent strategy will be documented separately if the project requires one.

19. License Summary

Artifact Default License
SympLab source code AGPL-3.0-or-later
Source-code tests AGPL-3.0-or-later
Documentation CC BY-SA 4.0
Architecture documents CC BY-SA 4.0
Scientific documentation CC BY-SA 4.0
Technical documentation CC BY-SA 4.0
JSON Schemas CC BY-SA 4.0
JSON examples CC BY-SA 4.0
Mermaid diagrams CC BY-SA 4.0
Third-party materials Original license
SympLab name and logos Separate identity/trademark policy

When a file explicitly declares a different license, that declaration takes precedence for that specific work, provided that the license is validly applicable to the work.

20. License Architecture

The overall SympLab licensing model can be summarized as follows:

    flowchart TD

    Knowledge["Scientific Knowledge"]

    Documentation["Documentation\nCC BY-SA 4.0"]
    Schemas["Normative Schemas\nCC BY-SA 4.0"]
    Examples["Scientific Examples\nCC BY-SA 4.0"]

    Implementation["Software Implementation"]

    Source["SympLab Source Code\nAGPL-3.0-or-later"]

    Ecosystem["Scientific Ecosystem"]

    Knowledge --> Documentation
    Knowledge --> Schemas
    Knowledge --> Examples

    Documentation --> Source
    Schemas --> Source
    Examples --> Source

    Source --> Ecosystem
    Documentation --> Ecosystem
    Schemas --> Ecosystem
    Examples --> Ecosystem

The intended result is an open scientific ecosystem in which:

  • scientific concepts can be shared and adapted;
  • specifications can be independently implemented;
  • source code remains open;
  • network-based derivatives remain subject to the AGPL;
  • scientific documentation remains part of an open commons;
  • project identity remains independently manageable.

21. Guiding Principle

SympLab separates the freedom to understand science from the freedom to implement software.

Both are essential.

Define the science. Share the knowledge. Open the implementation.

This licensing architecture is intended to ensure that SympLab can evolve from an individual scientific software project into a sustainable open scientific ecosystem without requiring the closure of its core knowledge or implementation.