2AB, Inc. - Trusted Middleware for Distributed Business

The standard edition of the jLock product is free software under the GNU General Public License (GPL). If you accept the GPL, then you are bound by the terms of that license which requires that you open source any derivative works and/or products which you create using jLock. Provided that you meet the terms of the GPL, you may use, modify and/or distribute jLock source freely.

We recognize that many companies wish to keep their source code private and therefore we also offer a commercial licensing which allows you to do this.

2. Do you charge for (non-GNU) licensing?

Yes we do. We offer our source code freely and we therefore believe that it is fair to ask anyone who uses our software (source or pre-built binaries) to freely distribute the source code for their application. If you have a business case for keeping your source private, then you obviously believe that the application you developed provides value to your business. We are pleased that our software has contributed to your business value. We believe it is reasonable to ask for compensation for your use of jLock in your proprietary solution(s).

3. We wish to integrate jLock in an open source Document Management Solution? Our source is freely available. Are there any fees?

If your open source license is compatible with the requirements of the GNU General Public License, you are free to use the source without charge in your solution. Please tell us more about your solution so we can publish it as part of our success stories!

4. Can we integrate jLock into an open source J2EE Application Server (e.g. JBOSS).

Certainly. If the open source license on the application server is compatible with the requirements of the GNU General Public License, you are free to use the jLockOpen source in your solution. Please be aware that any applications that are deployed on the J2EE server and use jLock features will also need to meet the requirements of the GPL or the application solution provider will need to evaluate whether they meet the GPL requirements.

5. We wish to integrate jLock in a product that we distribute free of charge. We do not release our source code however. Do I need a commercial license? If so, why?

The test is whether or not your usage of jLock in your product meets the terms of the GNU General Public License. If you distribute your product and the source code is not available then you do not meet those terms and you require a commercial Source License and Distribution Agreement. It does not matter whether or not you charge for your product.

6. My company develops applications for use internally – we do not sell them; We do not release our source code. Do we have to pay a license fee?

Many end-user IT departments will be able to use jLockOpen under the GPL terms without a fee, however, if you do not meet the terms of the GNU General Public License, you will need a commercial Source License and Distribution Agreement for the software. The most important question is whether or not you redistribute your application(s). The term "redistribution" means your application is distributed to one or more third parties. Giving an application to customers, even in alpha or beta releases, is redistribution. Giving contractors, affiliates, parent organizations or subsidiaries, business partners or support vendors a copy of the application is generally redistribution. The following are not redistribution:
• Building an application for use internal to your organization, deployed and managed on your company servers.
• Off-site backups or other software archival procedures.

7. My company is an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and we wish to embed jLock in our application. We do not release our source code. What kind of license agreement do we need?

If you wish to distribute your value-added solution (application) to third parties without releasing source code, you will need a commercial Source License and Distribution Agreement. Most independent software vendors (ISV’s) who do not release source code will require this type of agreement.

The test is whether or not your redistribution of jLock as part of your frameworks meets the terms of the GNU General Public License. If your framework source is “freely available” to anyone, then you do not need a commercial license to redistribute. If, however, you only provide the framework source code to your customers, it is proprietary (not freely available) and you require a commercial Source License and Distribution Agreement. ' It does not matter if you charge for your frameworks.

9. I want to use and/or customize the jLock source for use within my business application? Do you provide any programmer support for this?

Yes. We provide a number of demonstration programs (including a small sample application) with the open source. We also provide documentation. If this is not sufficient, you may purchase support and/or professional services for your development efforts.

10. We have evaluated jLockOpen and discovered that we need some of the features of jLock Power Edition. Is the source also available for the Power Edition?

Yes. This source for Power Edition is available to our customers under a commercial Source License and Distribution Agreement. It is not, however, available under GNU GPL.

11. We want to use a fully supported commercial version of jLock. Is this an option?

Yes. You may purchase jLock Power Edition licensing with a variety of support/maintenance plans.