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The open-source hardware statement of principles and definition were developed by members of the OSHWA board and working group along with others. These documents were originally edited on the wiki at freedomdefined.org, which you can visit to see endorsements of the definition and to add your own.
Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Statement of Principles 1.0
Open source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or hardware based on that design. The hardware’s source, the design from which it is made, is available in the preferred format for making modifications to it. Ideally, open source hardware uses readily-available components and materials, standard processes, open infrastructure, unrestricted content, and open-source design tools to maximize the ability of individuals to make and use hardware. Open source hardware gives people the freedom to control their technology while sharing knowledge and encouraging commerce through the open exchange of designs.
Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Definition 1.0
The Open Source Hardware (OSHW) Definition 1.0 is based on the Open Source Definition for Open Source Software. That definition was created by Bruce Perens and the Debian developers as the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
Introduction
Open Source Hardware (OSHW) is a term for tangible artifacts — machines, devices, or other physical things — whose design has been released to the public in such a way that anyone can make, modify, distribute, and use those things. This definition is intended to help provide guidelines for the development and evaluation of licenses for Open Source Hardware.
Hardware is different from software in that physical resources must always be committed for the creation of physical goods. Accordingly, persons or companies producing items (“products”) under an OSHW license have an obligation to make it clear that such products are not manufactured, sold, warrantied, or otherwise sanctioned by the original designer and also not to make use of any trademarks owned by the original designer.
The distribution terms of Open Source Hardware must comply with the following criteria:
1. Documentation
The hardware must be released with documentation including design files, and must allow modification and distribution of the design files. Where documentation is not furnished with the physical product, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining this documentation for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, preferably downloading via the Internet without charge. The documentation must include design files in the preferred format for making changes, for example the native file format of a CAD program. Deliberately obfuscated design files are not allowed. Intermediate forms analogous to compiled computer code — such as printer-ready copper artwork from a CAD program — are not allowed as substitutes. The license may require that the design files are provided in fully-documented, open format(s).
2. Scope
The documentation for the hardware must clearly specify what portion of the design, if not all, is being released under the license.
3. Necessary Software
If the licensed design requires software, embedded or otherwise, to operate properly and fulfill its essential functions, then the license may require that one of the following conditions are met:
a) The interfaces are sufficiently documented such that it could reasonably be considered straightforward to write open source software that allows the device to operate properly and fulfill its essential functions. For example, this may include the use of detailed signal timing diagrams or pseudocode to clearly illustrate the interface in operation.
b) The necessary software is released under an OSI-approved open source license.
4. Derived Works
The license shall allow modifications and derived works, and shall allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original work. The license shall allow for the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of products created from the design files, the design files themselves, and derivatives thereof.
5. Free redistribution
The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the project documentation. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale. The license shall not require any royalty or fee related to the sale of derived works.
6. Attribution
The license may require derived documents, and copyright notices associated with devices, to provide attribution to the licensors when distributing design files, manufactured products, and/or derivatives thereof. The license may require that this information be accessible to the end-user using the device normally, but shall not specify a specific format of display. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original design.
7. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
8. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the work (including manufactured hardware) in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it must not restrict the hardware from being used in a business, or from being used in nuclear research.
9. Distribution of License
The rights granted by the license must apply to all to whom the work is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
10. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
The rights granted by the license must not depend on the licensed work being part of a particular product. If a portion is extracted from a work and used or distributed within the terms of the license, all parties to whom that work is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted for the original work.
11. License Must Not Restrict Other Hardware or Software
The license must not place restrictions on other items that are aggregated with the licensed work but not derivative of it. For example, the license must not insist that all other hardware sold with the licensed item be open source, nor that only open source software be used external to the device.
12. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology, specific part or component, material, or style of interface or use thereof.
Afterword
The signatories of this Open Source Hardware definition recognize that the open source movement represents only one way of sharing information. We encourage and support all forms of openness and collaboration, whether or not they fit this definition.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Endorsements
If you would like to add your endorsement, email us at info@oshwa.org!
Initial list from freedomdefined.org
- Aaron Clarke, aaronclarke.com, EmbeddedCoding.com
- Aaron harper, Lobo Savvy Technologies, Ahead Research Corporation
- Abhimanyu Singh Udawat, Explore Labs
- Adam Cooper, CETIS
- Adam Mayer, Makerbot Industries
- Adam N. Ward, Wardy’s Projects
- Adam Wolf, Wayne and Layne
- Addie Wagenknecht and Stefan Hechenberger, Nortd Labs, Eyebeam, Lasersaur
- Adviye Ayça Ünlüer, Yildiz Technical University
- Ahmet Alpat, Arduino Türkiye, Elektrik, Elektronik, Enerji
- AJ Quick, A Quick CNC
- Akiba, FreakLabs
- Alan Pack, Photo Booth King
- Albert Monés, replicat.es
- Alberto Fabiano, Garoa Hacker Clube
- Alexander Olikevich, OpenFabLab
- Alexander Ruiz, Ingenio Sólido S.A.S
- Alexis Sánchez, PingüinoVE
- Alicia Gibb, Bug Labs
- Alok Prasad
- Amanda Wozniak, Ninja Networks
- Amon Millner, Scratch & MIT, Olin College, Modkit
- Anand Tamboli, Knewron
- André Menks, Multilógica-shop
- Andreas Olofsson, Parallella
- Andrés Delgado, Apertura Radical
- Andrew Back, Open Source Hardware User Group
- Andrew Katz, Moorcrofts LLP
- Andrew Meyer
- Andrew Plumb, ClothBot Designs
- Andrew Sliwinski, OmniCorpDetroit
- Andrew Stone, Toasted Circuits
- Andrew Wenzlaff, Contain Rain
- Andy Gelme, Connected Community HackerSpace, Melbourne, Australia and Geekscape Pty. Ltd.
- Andy Wickert, Northern Widget LLC
- Anil Kumar Pugalia, Pugs’ Passion
- Anool Mahidharia, WyoLum
- Anthony Clay, ZarthCode LLC
- Arno Eikhof, UVC Ingenieure
- Arthur Wolf, Smoothie
- Asim Baig, Tinkeract
- Ayah Bdeir, littleBits.cc, Eyebeam, Creative Commons
- Balestrino Salvatore, OSHW.IT
- Bastian Bittorf, bittorf wireless ))
- Ben Leduc-Mills, Craft Technology Lab
- Benjamin Gaulon, Recyclism
- Benjamin Gray, phenoptix
- Bergmann Markus, morethanfunctional
- Bernard Pratz, hackable:Devices
- Bernt Weber, Splashelec
- Bertrand Le Roy, Nwazet
- Bhagyashri Sharangpani, Bhasha Technologies
- Bill Shaw, Inanimate Reason
- Bob Jacobsen, JMRI
- Bob Waldron, MakerPlane
- Boseji, Electronics For Bharat , A.D.H.A.R Labs
- Brandon Stafford, Rascal Micro
- Brett Hagman, Rogue Robotics, Wiring
- Brian Collins, Hacromatic
- Brian Rayburn
- Brian Harling, Modtronics Australia
- Briana Mansion, Tenderoo
- bunnie, bunniestudios
- Cade Klock
- Carmen Gonzalez, Open Solar Circuits, DreamAddictive
- Carmen Trudell, Fluxxlab
- Carol Willing
- Carson Reynolds, University of Tokyo
- Catarina Mota, openMaterials
- Cathal Garvey, Indie Biotech
- Cécile Montagne, open-devices
- Cesar Harada, Protei, sailing drones
- Charles Collis, AdCiv.org
- Charles Pax, Pax Instruments
- Charles Edward Pax, Makerbot Industries
- Charles Yarnold
- Chris Anderson, 3D Robotics/DIY Drones
- Chris Harris, Agency1
- Chris Mark, Fellers Tree Services
- Chris Jefferies, Tinaja Labs
- Chris Novello, illucia instruments
- Chris Walker, Netduino, Secret Labs
- Christian Siefkes, keimform.de
- Christopher Lee, Australian Robotics
- Constantin Craciun, Harkopen.com – open source hardware community
- Dali Ben Aleya, EC-O: Provide recovered materials based DIY solutions
- Dan Clark, GroundZero Labs
- Daniel Andarde, Daniel Andrade – art.electronics.tech
- Daniel Garcia, Protostack
- Daniel Harrigan
- Daniel Reetz, DIY Book Scanner
- Daniel Yucra, SomosLibres.org Perú
- Darsh Shah, Blog
- Dave Borghuis, TkkrLab hackerspace
- Dave Hrynkiw, Solarbotics Ltd., HVW Technologies
- David A. Mellis, Arduino
- David Ankers & James Cotton, The OpenPilot Foundation
- David Carrier, Parallax Inc.
- David Cuartielles, Arduino, OSHW_Spanish
- David Gascón, Libelium , Cooking-Hacks
- David L. Jones, EEVblog
- David Lang, OpenROV
- David Reyes Samblás Martínez, Tuxbrain
- David Siren Eisner, InMojo
- Deepak Pareek, HnyB Inc.
- Deepak Shrivastava
- Demetris Rouslan Zavorotnitsienko, GizmoForYou
- Diego Spinola, Hackeneering
- Dilshan R Jayakody, Dilshan R Jayakody’s Web Log
- Dimitri Albino, smARtMAKER
- D’sun Labs, http://dsunlabs.com/
- Dumitru Stama, dicsEE
- Dustyn Roberts, dustynrobots
- Dominic Muren, The Humblefactory
- Ed Minchau, Magical Robotics
- Emanuele Bonanni aka EmanueleEMC, Elettronica Open Source
- Emre Gökçe Çimen, Eg-ar Design
- Eric Anderson, Carnegie Mellon University
- Eric Boyd, sensebridge
- Eric Herman, FreeSA
- Eric Michaud, i11 Industries
- Eric Pan, Seeed Studio
- Eric Thompson, Low Voltage Labs
- Ethan Zonca, ProtoFusion
- Fabien Royer, Nwazet
- Faisal Omar Aljabri, faisalomar
- Federico Lucifredi, SUSE Linux
- Francisco Cordova, e-Terminal Foundation
- Francisco Malpartida, electroFUN
- Frank Piller, rwth-aachen university
- Freddy Deniau
- Frédéric Jourdan, Snootlab
- Gareth Coleman, layer zero labs
- Geoffrey L. Barrows, Centeye, Inc., Embedded Eye
- George Hadley, NBitWonder
- Gilles Reyna
- Giovanni Lostumbo, GNUBioPhotoVoltaic
- Glyn Hudson, Trystan Lea and Suneil Tagore, OpenEnergyMonitor
- Graham Bicknell
- Greg Grossmeier, Open Evangelist
- Greg Krsak
- Gregory Gage, Backyard Brains
- Guo haoyun, bjmakerspace.com
- Gustav Karlsson, Karlsson Robotics
- Hal Gottfried, KC Open Hardware Society
- Hannah Perner-Wilson, Plusea, How To Get What You Want
- Hans Scharler, ioBridge, ThingSpeak
- Hao Zhang, BJMakerspace
- Hélio Pereira
- Helio Ribeiro da Silva Filho
- Henrik Denhart, Denhart
- Hong Phuc Dang, FOSSASIA
- Ian Daniher, Nonolith Labs
- Ian Lee, Software & Sawdust
- Ivan Jorge Boesing, FIRST Brazil
- J. Simmons, Mach 30: Foundation for Space Development
- Jaco du Plessis, hbnet Private Internet Services
- James Adams, MakeNub
- James Grahame, Reflex Audio , MeeBlip
- James Ronald, Michigan Robot Club
- Jarryd Bekker, Lattra
- Jasmin Skenderi, alpha-board Elektronik-Design und Fertigungsservice Berlin
- Jason Huggins, Bitbeam
- Jason Veneman, Intelligenate
- Jatinderjit Singh, Embisys
- Jayson Tautic, TAUTIC ELECTRONICS LLC
- Jean Demartini, DEMTECH – Sophia-Antipolis – France
- Jean-Marc Giacalone, eMAKERshop
- Jeff Karney, JK Devices
- Jeff Keyzer, MightyOhm Engineering
- Jeff Moe, Aleph Objects, Inc.
- Jeff Saltzman, Jeff’s Arduino Blog
- Jeffrey Antony, Jeffrey’s Personal Website
- Jeremy Blum, JeremyBlum.com, Cornell University Creative Machines Lab
- Jeremy Saglimbeni, thecustomgeek.com
- Jim Barkley, The MITRE Corporation
- Jimmie P. Rodgers, JimmiePRodgers.com
- Jinbuhm Kim, WIZnet
- Joan Espinoza, PingüinoVE
- Joel Murphy, Rachel’s Electronics, Parsons D+T
- John Wilbanks, Creative Commons
- John Lejeune, h:D
- John M. De Cristofaro
- John Tarbox, BitsConnect.com
- Johnny Russell, UltiMachine
- Jon Kuniholm, The Open Prosthetics Project
- Jon Masters, www.jonmasters.org
- Jonathan Dahan, Island Labs
- Jonathan Minchin, cross-innovation
- Jonathan Oxer, Freetronics
- Jorel Lalicki, LIB3 Inc.- Open Source Hardware for Experimenters
- Jorge Alberto Silva, CDIR ITESCO
- Josef Pruša, josefprusa.cz, RepRap developer
- Joseph Di Carlo
- Joseph Gray, 911 Media Arts Center, Seattle, projBox
- Joseph H Althaus
- Josh Boughey, The Stribe Project
- Joshua D. Johnson, Protobot Industries, physical prototyper/inventor
- Juan Gonzalez-Gomez, Iearobotics.com, Researcher on robotics
- Juergen Neumann, OHANDA – Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance
- Julien Rouviere, OpenSCB
- Julio Carrillo, University of Los Andes-Venezuela, Revolution of Making
- Keith Braafladt
- Ken Burns, AkroSense
- Kenneth Liu, Arduino in Taiwan
- Kevin Townsend, www.microBuilder.eu
- Koichi Takagi, Nagoya City University
- Kurt Andro, www.ideenzumnulltarif.de
- Kyle Wiens, iFixit
- Lawrence “Lemming” Dixon, HSBNE.org, Hackerspace Brisbane
- Leah Buechley, MIT Media Lab, High-Low Tech
- Lenore Edman, Evil Mad Science
- Leslie Garcia, DreamAddictive, Astrovandalistas
- Lex Blagus, OpDehy
- Limor Fried, Adafruit Industries
- Louis Montagne, Bearstech
- Lubos Medovarsky, Accelera Networks
- Luigi Carnevale, Droids
- Maik Kroka, Dischereit SMT Assembly
- Marcin Jakubowski, Open Source Ecology
- Marcus A. Link, Manupool – A Product Development Community
- Mario Behling, MBM
- Mario Raul Perez, MacroPLC
- Mark Carew, OpenBuilds
- Mark Khusid, EE, MK Dynamics
- Mark McComb, hacktronics
- Marty Schrader, Parsec Technologies, Inc.
- Massimo Banzi, Arduino
- Mathilde Berchon, MakingSociety
- Mats Engstrom, SmallRoomLabs
- Mats Undén
- Matt Westervelt, Metrix Create:Space
- Matthew Beckler, Wayne and Layne
- Matthew Slater, Community Forge
- Matthieu Quadrini, OpenSCB
- Michael Eber, Makertronic
- Michael James, OSHJunkies
- Michael Krumpus, nootropic design
- Michael McPherson
- Michael Ossmann, Great Scott Gadgets
- Michael Ruppe
- Mike Provenzano, Progunn Industries
- Mitch Altman, Cornfield Electronics
- Mitch Patterson(mitpatterson), Mitch’s Tech Blog
- Mohamed, aSensar, RepRap-India
- Morgaine Dinova, Morgaine Dinova on freedomdefined.org, lecturer and consultant
- Moritz von Buttlar, Opensource-Solar
- Morten I. Larsen
- Naoufel Razouane, Tunisia-DIY
- Nathan Seidle, SparkFun Electronics
- Nicholas C Lewis, A RepRap Breeding Program
- Nicolas Lassabe, Artilect FabLab Toulouse
- Nicolas Saugnier, XD Team blog
- Nis Sarup
- Noah Shibley, Nomi Design
- Noel Bautista, Maker Dude
- Nuri Erginer, gnexlab
- Oldrich Horacek, HW Kitchen
- Ondrej Zizka
- Paolo Patierno, DevExperience
- Partha Pratim Ray, Sikkim University
- Patrick Korkuch
- Patrick Lloyd
- Paul Armstrong
- Paul Badger, Modern Device
- Pavol Rusnak, hackerspace brmlab
- Pete Brown, 10rem.net
- Pete Prodoehl, RasterWeb!
- Peter Kirn, Create Digital Music, MeeBlip
- Phillip Torrone, MAKE magazine, Adafruit Industries
- Pierce Nichols, Logos Electromechanical LLC
- Pierrick Boissard, I-Grebot robotics association
- Pip Jones, Deepend
- Prashant Khandelwal, midnightprogrammer.net
- R. Scott Plunkett, The OpenQi Project
- Raf Wawer, Ancient Crafts and Arts Society
- Rafael Barmak, OVNI Lab
- Raghavan Nagabhirava
- Ramón Martínez, Tenderoo Mobile Payment
- Raphaël Rousseau, Atelier Laser
- Raúl Oviedo, Ingenieria Electronica
- Ravichandra Seveelavanan, LZRDM
- Rebika Rai, Sikkim University
- Red Byer, Red’s Toyland
- Ricardo Mayorga, telsisconelectronica.com
- Richard Anderson, Fair Use Building and Research Labs
- Richard Arnett, ChromatograDIY
- Robert Fitzsimons, Part Fusion Electronics
- Robit Technology, Parts of Electronics and Robotics
- Rodolfo Cossovich, Multiplo
- Ron K. Jeffries, Jeffries Research
- Ronen Kadushin, Open Design
- Roy Mohan Shearer, Openthing
- Ryan Pulkrabek, Opennautics
- Sachin, DigiBay
- Samuel Sayer, The MITRE Corporation
- Samuel Vale, Holoscópio Tecnologia
- Sascha Meinrath, Open Technology Initiative
- SASIKUMAR K, [sasi1212@live.in]
- Scot Kornak, BusBoard Prototype Systems Ltd.
- Shannon Morrisey
- Simone Marzulli, Onioncoding
- Stacy L. Devino, Does it Pew?, aka childofthehorn
- Sterling Pickens, linuxsociety
- Steve Dickie, ArduinoEducation.com
- Steve Gifford, Chips To Bits
- Steve Hoefer, Grathio Labs
- Stewart Dickson, Makerspace-Urbana
- Suniel Kumar G, POSHLabs-People’s Open Source Hardware Labs
- Tassos Natsakis, KU Leuven
- Taylor Alexander, Flutter Wireless
- Terry King, YourDuino.com
- Thalis Antunes, FACIT
- Theodore Ullrich, Tomorrow Lab™
- Thomas Gokey, artist
- Thomas McGahee
- Tim Lossen, Evercube
- Tomasz Mloduchowski, XLogic, Blattaria, Ltd.
- Troy Dowling, TroyDowling.org
- Tsvetan Usunov, Olimex.com
- Tully Gehan, Samurai Circuits
- Tuomo Tammenpää, OHANDA – Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance
- Tushar Makwana, Explore Labs
- Usman Haque, Pachube
- Victor Aprea, Wicked Device
- Victor Christiansenn, SecPoint
- Victor Perin, Nerd Hi-Tech
- Viento, Floating City Copenhagen
- Vlad Trifa, Web of Things , ETH Zurich
- Will Cleaver, OS Economy – Science & Art
- Will Pickering, FunGizmos
- William Morris, I Heart Robotics , I Heart Engineering
- William Zain, MoBooth
- Wim Vandeputte, kd85
- Windell Oskay, Evil Mad Science
- Yannick Avelino, Electrolab
- Yoonseo Kang, Open Tech Forever
- Xavier Leonard, X.L
- Zhang Dong, HOMEMODE