Document Information Version: 1.0 Effective Date: 2025-10-06 Last Updated: 2025-10-15

1. Contributor Identity and Verification

Full Legal Name: _________________________
Contact Email: _________________________

2. Definition of Contributions

“Contributions” include but are not limited to:

Source code, object code, and documentation
Bug reports with proposed fixes
Configuration files, build scripts, and deployment instructions
Test cases, examples, and tutorials
Translations and localisation files

3. Rationale for Copyright Assignment

Reasons for Copyright Transfer

Ensures long-term project sustainability
Provides clear legal protection for the project
Prevents potential future ownership disputes

The FSF offers a detailed FAQ that elaborates further upon why a copyright transfer is needed.

4. Intellectual Property Declaration

I, the undersigned contributor, hereby affirm and declare the following statements:

A. Code Authorship Confirmation

I certify that all code I contribute to this project is entirely my own original work, created solely by me, and has not been copied or derived from any other source without proper attribution.

B. Copyright Ownership

I explicitly confirm that I am the sole and exclusive copyright owner of any code I submit to this project. No other entity, including but not limited to my current or past employers, educational institutions, or other organisations, has any claim to the intellectual property of the code I contribute.

C. Copyright Assignment

I voluntarily and irrevocably assign the full copyright of my contributed code to John M. Schneiderman residing in Warsaw, Poland, the maintainer of the project.

D. Patent Grant

I grant a perpetual, irrevocable patent licence for any patents I own that are necessarily infringed by my contributions. This patent grant applies to the project maintainer and all users of the project.

5. Contributor Representations

I confirm the following:

I have the legal right to assign these copyrights.
The code I contribute is original and does not infringe on any existing copyrights.
I understand the implications of this copyright assignment.
I am submitting this contribution voluntarily.
I have read and understand the terms and requirements in the licence of the project.

Employment Status Declaration

I am not bound by any employment or contractor agreements that would restrict my ability to contribute, OR I have obtained necessary permissions from my employer/client to make these contributions.
I have disclosed any potential conflicts of interest.

Warranties and Indemnification

I warrant that my contributions do not violate any third-party rights.
I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the project maintainer from any claims arising from my contributions.

Commit Attribution

I agree to use consistent author information in version control.
My commits will use the same name and E-mail as provided in this agreement.
To update my name or E-mail address, I will add a comment to this issue with the new information.

6. Legal Acknowledgment

By signing below, I acknowledge that:

This is a legally binding document.
I have read and understood the entire agreement.
I agree to all terms outlined in this contributor agreement.
This agreement applies to all current and future contributions.
The project maintainer agrees to respect the spirit of open-source collaboration, and the licence of the project.
The terms of the agreement are made between myself, and the maintainer of the project.
The submission of code to the project is further acknowledgment of the legally binding nature of this agreement.
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Poland.
Any disputes arising from this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Warsaw, Poland.

Moral Rights Acknowledgment

I retain my moral rights as defined under Polish copyright law.
The maintainer acknowledges my right to be recognised as the original author.
Moral rights include the right to:
1. Claim authorship of the work.
2. Protect the integrity of the work.
3. Make the work available to the public.

Attribution and Recognition

The project maintainer agrees to provide appropriate attribution.
Attribution methods may include but are not limited to:
1. Code comments
2. Contributor lists
3. Project documentation
4. Release notes

Severability

If any provision of this agreement is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable:

The validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected or impaired.
The invalid provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal, and enforceable.
If no such modification is possible, the provision shall be deemed deleted.
The overall intent of the parties shall be preserved to the greatest extent possible.

Future Contributions

To stop making future contributions and formally sever future contributions, I may open a task declaring this intention and referencing the issue number containing my signature.
This does not affect previously assigned copyrights.

Agreement Status Changes

This agreement remains binding even if I cease contributing.
To request removal from contributor lists: I must create a new task requesting removal.

Agreement Updates

The project maintainer may update this agreement from time to time.
Contributors will be notified of material changes via the project's communication channels.
Continued contributions after notification constitute acceptance of the updated agreement.
Contributors who do not accept updates may cease future contributions but remain bound by the version they originally signed.

Legal Capacity

I confirm I am of legal age (18+ or majority in my jurisdiction) to enter this agreement.
I have the mental capacity to understand and agree to these terms.

Electronic Agreement Acceptance

I consent that I can elect to conduct this agreement electronically.
I agree that my digital signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.

7. Contributor Consent

I agree to the terms of this Contributor Agreement.
I understand that this agreement is irrevocable.
I acknowledge that my contributions will be licenced under the same licence as the rest of the project.

I hereby confirm and agree to all statements in this Contributor Consent section.

Signature Requirements

For physical submissions: Complete the Contributor Signature and Date fields below.

For digital submissions: Complete the Digital Signature field below. Physical signature fields may be left blank for digital submissions.

Signature Block

Contributor Signature: ____________________

Date: ____________________

Digital Acknowledgment

For digital submissions, typing my full name below constitutes my electronic signature:

Digital Signature: ____________________