Legal issues
I am not a lawyer. This is not legal advice, just a collection of thoughts and issues.
Sharing
The main thing to understand is that Zero Install is all about sharing. It shares libraries between programs, and it shares programs between users and between computers. When one user of a computer installs a program, other users can access it too. In the future, it may share programs using peer-to-peer too. Like a web-cache, Zero Install assumes content is shareable. Therefore:
- If your program doesn't (at a minimum) allow unlimited redistribution of unmodified binaries, then DO NOT distribute it using Zero Install!
If you want to implement some restrictions (e.g. "you must pay before using this program") then you can require a license key to be entered to make the program fully functional, for example. The license key doesn't go in the shared cache and so will not be shared automatically.
It is a good idea to include a file inside your package giving full details of the license and stating who the copyright holder is.
As well as sharing packages, Zero Install also assumes that the XML feed files can be stored and copied freely in unmodified form. Like the packages themselves, feed files may be archived or stored on mirror sites to improve performance and reliability.
Translations
Unless you state otherwise, it is assumed that your XML feed file can be freely translated into other languages and published on indexing sites.
Digital signatures
All Zero Install feeds have a digital signature. The signature shows that the feed hasn't been tampered with since it was signed. By default, this is the only meaning of the signature: an attacker has not intercepted and modified the feed. A signature is not a warranty or guarantee. It is not intended to suggest that the package meets any particular quality standards, unless that is stated explicitly.
In general, the signer of a feed should not have greater legal liability because they signed it. You should treat a signed feed exactly as you would an unsigned feed which you felt confident had not been modified by a third-party.
Licenses for Zero Install software
Each piece of software is licensed separately. Please consult the documentation page for the program you are interested in for details.
