ArchivesSpace CLA

Owned by Esmé Cowles (Unlicensed)
Sept 25, 2014
2 min read

Contributor License Agreements

ArchivesSpace requires that all project contributors complete a Contributor License Agreement (CLA). The CLA clearly defines the terms under which intellectual property is being contributed, and allows ArchivesSpace to provide comprehensive governance over the project.

The Contributor License Agreement enables ArchivesSpace to update the licensing of its projects, when necessary or desirable, while maintaining the provenance of the code, and the rights of the contributors and adopters of this code.

The CLA also makes it possible for ArchivesSpace to defend the project, and/or its contributors and adopters, should the project become the subject of any claim or dispute, legal or otherwise.

In all cases, contributors retain full rights to use their original contributions for any other purpose, while providing ArchivesSpace and its projects the right to distribute and extend their contributed work.

Individuals must have an Individual Contributor License Agreement (ICLA) on file with ArchivesSpace before any significant contributions will be accepted and before "commit" privileges will be granted on ArchivesSpace projects.

Organizations that have tasked employees to work on an ArchivesSpace project must also complete a Corporate Contributor License Agreement (CCLA)  so intellectual property that may have been assigned as part of an employment agreement can still be properly contributed. Individuals still also need to submit an ICLA, even when their organizations has completed a CCLA. Individuals are responsible for making sure their organization has completed a CCLA if their contributions are owned by their employer.

When an individual or corporation donates existing software or documentation to an  ArchivesSpace project, they need to execute a Software Grant License Agreement (SGLA) with ArchivesSpace. This typically occurs as part of the Incubation process for taking on new projects. Corporations can also provide a concurrent grant as part of the CCLA itself.

Projects with pre-existing codebases need to complete Contributor Agreements with all IP holders prior to formal acceptance by ArchivesSpace.

Contributor License Agreements may be submitted to ArchivesSpace  in the following way:

  • Postal Mail

    • ArchivesSpace

    • LYRASIS

    • 1438 West Peachtree Street, NW

    • Suite 200

    • Atlanta, GA 30309

    • USA

  • Email

  • Fax

    • +1-404.892.7879

    • Attention: ArchivesSpace Licensing

The content of this document was adapted from the Apereo Foundation Contributor License Agreements