Licenses (Source‑Available)

We’ve moved Sylan to a source‑available model aligned with our plan to run an ICO/IDO. You can read and contribute to the code, but commercial monetization is restricted unless you obtain a commercial license from us.

This page is informational, not legal advice. For specific use cases, consult counsel.

At‑a‑glance

• Goal: encourage contributions and research while protecting the project from copycat, for‑profit platforms and token offerings.
• Model: Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL‑1.1) with a Sylan Additional Use Grant and a future Change License.
• What’s allowed now: non‑commercial use, evaluation, audits, research, development, and contributions.
• What’s restricted: operating a competing API marketplace, running monetized services derived from Sylan, and any token sale/ICO/IDO based on the code without a commercial license.
• Sunset: after the Change Date, code auto‑relicenses to Apache‑2.0, enabling broad use in the future.

Our licensing (project‑wide)

Unless a file/package states otherwise, Sylan uses the following:

Each package contains a LICENSE (BUSL‑1.1) and /LICENSES/SYL-Additional-Use-Grant.txt that explains permitted use and restrictions in plain language. Commercial terms are available upon request.

Key terms (plain English)

Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL‑1.1)

• You may copy, modify, and redistribute the code, and use it non‑commercially.
• Production use that is monetized or competitive requires a commercial license from Sylan.
• On the Change Date (max 4 years from release; see each package), the code automatically becomes Apache‑2.0.

Sylan Additional Use Grant (summary)

We grant additional rights for:

• Internal evaluation & R&D (including within companies) without charging third parties.
• Academic/educational use and security research.
• Contributions back to Sylan under the same license.

We do not grant rights for:

• Operating an API marketplace, data oracle network, or similar platform that charges fees or distributes tokens based on this code.
• Any token sale / ICO / IDO / airdrop or tokenized fundraising using this code.
• Offering the software as a paid service (SaaS) or embedding it in a paid product.

If you need any of the restricted rights, contact us for a commercial license.

Change License & dates

• Change License: Apache‑2.0
• Change Date: set per package release (no later than 4 years after the release date). The specific date appears at the top of each LICENSE file, e.g.:

Licensor: Sylan Contributors
Licensed Work: sylan-contracts v1.0.0
Change Date: 2029‑01‑01
Change License: Apache‑2.0

After the Change Date, that version is available under Apache‑2.0; newer versions keep their own BUSL window.

SPDX headers (copy/paste)

Add SPDX identifiers at the top of source files.

Solidity

// SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1
pragma solidity ^0.8.27;

TypeScript / JavaScript

/*
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1
 */

Markdown/MDX

<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-NC-4.0 -->

If you import a third‑party file with a different license, preserve its SPDX line and original copyright.

Third‑party licenses we depend on

We rely on open‑source libraries. Their licenses remain intact; keep them in your distributions and acknowledge in a NOTICE.

Always verify upstream license files during release; some projects include NOTICE requirements.

NOTICE template

Include this in packages that ship binaries/builds.

Sylan — Decentralized API Marketplace
Copyright (c) Sylan Contributors

This product includes software developed by third parties:
- OpenZeppelin Contracts (MIT)
- Solady (MIT)
- Next.js (MIT)
- Tailwind CSS (MIT)
- shadcn/ui (MIT)
- lucide-react (ISC)
- wagmi & viem (MIT)
- recharts (MIT)
- nextra (MIT)
See the respective LICENSE files for details.

Trademarks & brand

“Sylan”, the SYL token name/symbol, and the Sylan wordmark/logo are trademarks of the maintainers. You may not use them to imply endorsement. Permitted uses:

• Factual references (“built on Sylan”, “integrates with Sylan”).
• Screenshots in news/reviews.
• Educational use that does not misrepresent affiliation.

For any other use, request permission via the contact on our website.

Using Sylan code under BUSL‑1.1 (examples)

Allowed without a commercial license

• Fork for learning, auditing, or internal prototypes with no external users.
• Build PRs, fixes, or integrations and contribute them back.

Requires a commercial license

• Launching a paid API marketplace or oracle service using this code.
• Running Sylan as a hosted SaaS and charging users.
• Issuing tokens (sale/airdrop/IDO) tied to this codebase.

Contact us to discuss commercial terms.

Dual‑licensing & contributions

• We may offer commercial licenses for restricted use cases.
• By contributing code, you agree it is licensed under BUSL‑1.1 (plus our Additional Use Grant) for the relevant package.
• We use a DCO: sign commits with Signed-off-by: acknowledging the Developer Certificate of Origin.

FAQ

Is this “open source”?
Not under the OSI definition due to the monetization restriction. It’s source‑available.

Can I run Sylan privately at my company?
Yes, for non‑commercial internal evaluation. Production or monetized use requires a commercial license.

Will the code ever become fully open?
Yes—after each package’s Change Date, that version becomes Apache‑2.0.

Can I use snippets in my app?
Small excerpts are fine under fair use; for substantial use, follow BUSL‑1.1 and non‑commercial limits or obtain a commercial license.

How do I attribute docs?
“Content from the Sylan Docs (CC BY‑NC 4.0).” Include a link.

Questions & commercial inquiries

Open a discussion in the repo or reach us via the channels listed on the homepage to request a commercial license.