Can Pale Moon be included as part of other software?

Frequently Asked Questions about the Pale Moon browser and their answers.
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Moonchild
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Can Pale Moon be included as part of other software?

Unread post by Moonchild » 2013-06-22, 16:56

Can Pale Moon be included as part of other software?

Short answer: No. Pale Moon may not be included in commercial (for sale) or non-commercial software unless I've given permission on a per-case basis.

Long answer:
Although the Pale Moon redistribution agreement prohibits the inclusion of the browser in both commercial and non-commercial software packages without permission (with the exception of some educational use, see the redistribution agreement), Pale Moon may, after individual authorization, be included/incorporated in larger software packages/suites. This is, however, subject to my authorization for use of the binaries in individual agreements.

For inclusion in non-commercial, free, Open Source software (e.g. non-commercial Linux distributions) and for educational purposes, in many cases, inclusion of officially-branded versions of Pale Moon is allowed without further need for anything. Please see the exact statements in the Pale Moon redistribution license to see what is allowed in this case.

For inclusion in other non-commercial software, it would often suffice to simply ask me for permission and have this permission legalized in a simple signed notification or potentially a brief legal document. Depending on the individual case, this may require a clear statement in the software and giving credit, or potentially some form of compensation. Contact me for this.

For inclusion in commercial software, it is a requirement to have a signed, legally binding agreement outlining the incorporation of the browser binaries. I will ask for some form of support and fair compensation for incorporating the browser, either as-is or in a custom build format. Inclusion in commercial software is bound to much stricter rules; incorporating the binaries without prior permission is strictly prohibited and will immediately result in a cease and desist request if brought to my attention.

Authorized incorporations of note that may not be directly obvious are listed below, to prevent unnecessary reporting of inclusions that have been agreed upon between myself and the company in question:
  • Future Systems Solutions: Pale Moon is authorized to be incorporated as part of the software suites offered by Future Systems Solutions - most notably it may be included in the 64-bit bootable disc environment.
  • Uniform Server: Pale Moon is authorized to be incorporated as part of the Open Source, non-commercial server bundle for Windows. Incorporation can be expected in the Uniform Zero XI series (and later).
  • PDQ Deploy sysadmin packages: Pale Moon is authorized to be incorporated in the non-commercial PDQ Deploy enterprise system administrator packages. These packages are regularly posted to http://reddit.com/r/sysadmin
  • Pale Moon is authorized for inclusion on the Elvis Presley informational DVD that benefits multiple charities created by P. Chandler
  • Dynetics: Pale Moon is authorized for inclusion as a document viewer for HTML reports for certain undisclosed clients.
As an aside: Pale Moon is open source, and binaries built by others that do not include official branding or the name Pale Moon may, of course, always be included/incorporated in other software (subject to the conditions set forth by the person building those binaries). The source is open, but the binaries built by me or any binaries carrying the official branding may not be incorporated without prior permission. This follows the stipulation in the MPL specific to licensing binaries differently than the source.
Last edited by Moonchild on 2015-06-27, 09:19, edited 10 times in total.
Reason: Clarified the exemption for inclusion in FOSS environments.
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