Manifesto of Non-Interference regarding Derivative Works

Because of ambiguities and regional differences in the interpretation of "derivative works" as referenced in the GPL, any Drupal contributor who wishes to do so is encouraged to add your digital signature, as a comment, beneath the following statement to affirm your agreement.

If a lawyer would like to suggest a better form or improved language for this manifesto, comments are encouraged. (A new discussion has been formed here to keep this page uncluttered.)

If this page is moved or converted to another form, I will make my best effort to notify all signers where possible.

If you are unclear about the meaning of this statement, and the rights you may be giving up by agreeing to it, you should consult a lawyer.

[ Updated 2008-06-21 22:28 ]

We, the undersigned Contributors, hereby agree that we shall not engage or attempt to engage in Aggressive Action, in regards to an actual or perceived 'Derivative Work', against any person who creates a work which may be considered, in any jurisdiction, a 'Derivative Work' based upon our Publicly Available Contributions to Drupal. A "Publicly Available Contribution to Drupal", is any work distributed on the Internet or by any other public medium, under any license, which is NOT explicitly identified as proprietary, and which IS explicitly identified as a theme, module, patch, documentation, enhancement, or tool for use with a Drupal-based system. "Aggressive Action" is defined as the filing of a lawsuit against another party, excepting a counter-suit if the party has previously filed suit against the Contributor, or any other action which would prevent any third party from using, modifying, distributing, or profiting from a Publicly Available Contribution. This statement does not supersede or conflict with the GPL; it seeks only to clarify our understanding of it's definition of "Derivative Works" as applied to Drupal contributions.

Our agreement is affirmed by the placing of our Digital Signatures below, which is believed by the undersigned to be legally binding in the United States, under the laws regarding Digital Signatures.

Signed: