From b04bde3d9eff20ef6feea16d0537b26886c594e1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: boreddevnl Date: Mon, 4 May 2026 23:20:50 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] legal: Usage policy V2.0 --- POLICY.md | 241 +++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------- 1 file changed, 91 insertions(+), 150 deletions(-) diff --git a/POLICY.md b/POLICY.md index 78be9c6..e656792 100644 --- a/POLICY.md +++ b/POLICY.md @@ -1,213 +1,154 @@ -# BoredOS — Usage Policy & Disclaimer +# BoredOS — Usage Policy & Legal Notice -Version 1.0 | Last updated: May 2026 +Version 2.0 | Last updated: May 2026 --- -## 1. Acceptance of Terms +## 1. Purpose of This Document -**By installing, running, copying, modifying, or otherwise using BoredOS, you -acknowledge that you have read this policy, understand it, and agree to be bound -by its terms.** +This document provides additional context about the intended use of BoredOS and outlines important legal and practical considerations. -If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use, install, or distribute -BoredOS. Where technically feasible (e.g. in installer or first-boot contexts), -an explicit acknowledgment prompt will be presented. Proceeding past that prompt -constitutes acceptance of this policy. +**It is not a software license.** +BoredOS is licensed exclusively under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3), which governs your rights to use, modify, and distribute the software. + +In the event of any conflict, the GPLv3 takes full precedence. --- ## 2. License -BoredOS is free software released under the **GNU General Public License v3.0 -(GPLv3)**. A full copy of the license is available in the [`LICENSE`](./LICENSE) -file in this repository. +BoredOS is free software released under the **GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3)**. -The GPLv3 governs your rights to copy, modify, and redistribute BoredOS. This -Usage Policy is a **supplementary document** and does not override or modify the -permissions and conditions granted by the GPLv3. In the event of any conflict -between this document and the GPLv3, the GPLv3 takes precedence with respect to -software licensing rights. +You are free to: +- Use the software for any purpose +- Study and modify the source code +- Redistribute original or modified versions -Certain restrictions in this policy (in particular, the jurisdictional -restrictions in Section 3) are incorporated as **additional terms** under -**GPLv3 Section 7**. Violation of those restrictions therefore constitutes a -breach of the copyright license under which BoredOS is distributed, and -automatically terminates your rights under the GPLv3 in accordance with -Section 8 of that license. +A copy of the GPLv3 is provided in the [`LICENSE`](./LICENSE) file. --- -## 3. Jurisdictional Restrictions +## 3. No Age Verification or Regulatory Features -### 3.1 Age Verification Laws +BoredOS is designed as a **local operating system** and: -BoredOS **does not implement any form of age verification**, and the author has -no plans to add such a mechanism. BoredOS is an operating system and does not -collect user data, connect to external services, or provide online content that -is regulated under age-gating legislation. +- Does not implement **age verification** +- Does not implement **age-gating** +- Does not perform **identity checks** +- Does not collect or process **personal data** -However, certain jurisdictions have enacted laws that impose age verification or -age-appropriate design obligations on software or digital services accessible to -minors, including but not limited to: - -- **California, USA** — California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273) -- **United States (federal)** — Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), - as enforced by the FTC -- **United Kingdom** — Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) under the - UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018 -- **Any other jurisdiction** that enacts substantially similar legislation - requiring age verification, age-appropriate design assessments, or parental - consent mechanisms for software accessible to users under the age of 16 or 18 - -### 3.2 Prohibited Use in Restricted Jurisdictions - -**If you are located in, or subject to the laws of, any jurisdiction described -in Section 3.1, you are not permitted to use, install, execute, deploy, -distribute, sublicense, or otherwise interact with BoredOS in any form.** - -"Use" for the purposes of this section means: - -- Installing or running BoredOS on any hardware or virtual machine -- Distributing BoredOS or any derivative work to third parties -- Deploying BoredOS in any environment accessible to others -- Incorporating BoredOS or its components into any other software product - -By using BoredOS, you represent and warrant that the laws of your jurisdiction -do not require the operator or distributor of this software to implement age -verification or age-gating controls. This restriction is incorporated as an -additional condition of the copyright license pursuant to **GPLv3 Section 7(e)**. -Breach of this restriction terminates your rights under the GPLv3. - -### 3.3 Permitted Jurisdictions - -In jurisdictions that do not impose age verification or age-gating obligations -on software of this nature — including, at the time of writing, the Netherlands -and many other countries — any person of any age may use BoredOS freely, subject -to the terms of the GPLv3 and this policy. - -### 3.4 No Monitoring of Compliance - -The author does not have the technical means or intent to enforce jurisdictional -restrictions on a per-user basis. These restrictions are stated in good faith to -clarify the intended scope of use and to allocate legal responsibility -appropriately. If you are unsure whether your jurisdiction imposes such -requirements, consult a qualified legal professional before using or distributing -BoredOS. +There are currently no plans to introduce such features. --- -## 4. Privacy & Data Collection +## 4. Responsibility for Legal Compliance -**BoredOS collects absolutely no data.** +Laws and regulations vary between jurisdictions and may apply differently depending on how software is used or distributed. -- No telemetry -- No analytics -- No crash reports -- No user accounts -- No network communication initiated by the OS itself -- No cookies, tracking pixels, or persistent identifiers of any kind +**You are solely responsible for ensuring that your use, distribution, or deployment of BoredOS complies with applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.** -BoredOS runs entirely on your local hardware. The author has no visibility into -who runs BoredOS, how it is used, or on what hardware it is installed. +This includes, but is not limited to, laws relating to: -The GitHub repository hosting BoredOS source code is operated by **GitHub, Inc.**, -which may collect data in accordance with -[GitHub's own Privacy Policy](https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement). -The author has no control over and is not responsible for GitHub's data practices. +- Child safety and age-appropriate design +- Data protection and privacy +- Software distribution and platform obligations + +If your use case requires features that BoredOS does not provide (such as age verification), you are responsible for implementing those features yourself or choosing alternative software. --- -## 5. Disclaimer of Warranties +## 5. No Representation of Legal Compliance -BoredOS is provided **"as is"**, without warranty of any kind, express or -implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness -for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. +The author makes **no representation or warranty** that BoredOS complies with any specific legal or regulatory framework, including but not limited to: -The author makes no representations or warranties that: +- The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273) +- The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) +- The UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children’s Code) +- Any similar laws in other jurisdictions -- BoredOS will operate correctly on any given hardware configuration -- BoredOS is free of bugs, security vulnerabilities, or defects -- BoredOS is fit for any production, safety-critical, or mission-critical use - -**Do not use BoredOS in any environment where failure could result in personal -injury, data loss, financial harm, or other significant consequences.** - -To the extent that mandatory provisions of applicable law (including EU consumer -protection law) imply warranties that cannot be excluded, such warranties are -limited in duration and scope to the minimum required by law. +BoredOS is general-purpose software and is not designed or certified for compliance with regulatory regimes. --- -## 6. Limitation of Liability +## 6. No Monitoring or Enforcement -To the maximum extent permitted by the mandatory laws of your jurisdiction, the -author of BoredOS shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, -special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including but not limited to loss -of data, loss of profits, hardware damage, or business interruption) arising -out of the use or inability to use BoredOS, even if advised of the possibility -of such damages. +BoredOS: -Nothing in this section limits liability for death or personal injury caused by -negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under -applicable mandatory law. +- Does not track users +- Does not verify location or identity +- Does not enforce jurisdiction-specific restrictions -The author is a private individual contributing this project freely to the -open-source community. This project generates no revenue. Any legal claims -should be assessed proportionally to this context. +The author has no technical ability to monitor or control how the software is used. --- -## 7. No Endorsement +## 7. Privacy -The BoredOS name and branding may not be used to endorse or promote products or -services derived from this software without prior written permission from the -author. This is consistent with, and does not supersede, the terms of the GPLv3. +**BoredOS collects no data.** + +- No telemetry +- No analytics +- No crash reporting +- No accounts +- No background network communication + +All operation is local to the user’s device. + +The source code is hosted on GitHub, which is operated by GitHub, Inc. Their data practices are governed by their own privacy policy. --- -## 8. Governing Law & Jurisdiction +## 8. Disclaimer of Warranty -This policy and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection -with it are governed by the laws of **the Netherlands**, without regard to its -conflict of law provisions. +BoredOS is provided **"as is"**, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including: -Any disputes arising out of or in connection with this policy shall be subject -to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of **Amsterdam, the -Netherlands**, except where mandatory applicable law requires otherwise. +- Merchantability +- Fitness for a particular purpose +- Non-infringement + +The author does not guarantee that: + +- The software is free of bugs or vulnerabilities +- The software will work on any specific hardware +- The software is suitable for any particular use case --- -## 9. Severability +## 9. Limitation of Liability -If any provision of this policy is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to -be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed modified -to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if -modification is not possible. The validity and enforceability of the remaining -provisions shall not be affected. +To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the author shall not be liable for: + +- Data loss +- Hardware damage +- Loss of profits +- Business interruption +- Any indirect or consequential damages + +Nothing in this section excludes liability where such exclusion is not permitted by law. --- -## 10. Changes to This Policy +## 10. Trademarks and Attribution -This policy may be updated from time to time, for example to reflect changes in -applicable law. Each version will carry an updated version number and date. The -most current version will always be available in the -[BoredOS GitHub repository](https://github.com/boreddevnl/BoredOS). Prior -versions will be retained in the repository history. +"BoredOS" and associated branding may not be used to endorse or promote derived products without prior permission. -Continued use of BoredOS after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the -updated terms. If you do not agree to an updated version, you must cease using -BoredOS. +This does not limit your rights under the GPLv3, but applies to branding and representation. --- -## 11. Contact +## 11. Changes to This Document -This project is maintained by its author on a best-effort, voluntary basis. -For questions about this policy, open an issue on the -[GitHub repository](https://github.com/boreddevnl/BoredOS). +This document may be updated to reflect changes in legal context or project direction. + +The latest version will always be available in the repository. +Previous versions will remain accessible via version history. --- -*BoredOS Usage Policy v1.1 — May 2026* \ No newline at end of file +## 12. Contact + +For questions or concerns, open an issue on the GitHub repository or contact the author via email at chris@boreddev.nl. + +--- + +*BoredOS Usage Policy v2.0 — May 2026* \ No newline at end of file