87 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
87 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
# Legal FAQ - Free-Tier Quota & BUSL-1.1 Additional Use Grant
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> **Operational behaviour (limits, counters, delays) is documented in**
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> [`30_QUOTA_ENFORCEMENT_FLOW1.md`](30_QUOTA_ENFORCEMENT_FLOW1.md).
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> This page covers only the legal aspects of offering Stella Ops as a
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> service or embedding it into another product while the free-tier limits are
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> in place.
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> **Plugin developers:** See [`PLUGIN_DEVELOPER_FAQ.md`](PLUGIN_DEVELOPER_FAQ.md)
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> for plugin-specific licensing questions.
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>
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> **MSPs and SaaS providers:** See [`SAAS_MSP_GUIDANCE.md`](SAAS_MSP_GUIDANCE.md)
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> for detailed hosting scenarios.
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---
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## 1 ? Does enforcing a quota violate BUSL-1.1?
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**No.**
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BUSL-1.1 permits usage controls and requires production use to remain within the
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Additional Use Grant (3 environments, 999 new hash scans per 24 hours, and no
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SaaS/hosted third-party service). Quota enforcement documents compliance.
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The Stella Ops quota:
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* Is enforced **solely at the service layer** (Valkey counters, Redis-compatible).
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* Never disables functionality; it introduces *time delays* only after the
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free allocation is exhausted.
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* Can be bypassed by rebuilding from source, but production use outside the
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Additional Use Grant requires a commercial license.
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## 2 ? Can I redistribute Stella Ops with the quota removed?
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Yes, provided you:
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1. **Include the LICENSE and NOTICE files** with your distribution, and
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2. **Mark modified files** with prominent change notices.
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Recipients are still bound by BUSL-1.1 and the Additional Use Grant; production
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use outside the grant requires a commercial license.
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## 3 ? Embedding in a proprietary appliance
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You may ship Stella Ops inside a hardware or virtual appliance under BUSL-1.1.
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You must include LICENSE and NOTICE and preserve attribution notices. Production
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use must remain within the Additional Use Grant unless a commercial license is
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obtained. Proprietary integration code does not have to be disclosed.
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## 4 ? SaaS redistribution
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The BUSL-1.1 Additional Use Grant prohibits providing Stella Ops as a hosted or
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managed service to third parties. SaaS/hosted use requires a commercial license.
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## 5 <20> Is e-mail collection for the JWT legal?
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* **Purpose limitation (GDPR Art. 5-1 b):** address is used only to deliver the
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JWT or optional release notes.
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* **Data minimisation (Art. 5-1 c):** no name, IP or marketing preferences are
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required; a blank e-mail body suffices.
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* **Storage limitation (Art. 5-1 e):** addresses are deleted or hashed after
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<= 7 days unless the sender opts into updates.
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Hence the token workflow adheres to GDPR principles.
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---
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---
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## See Also
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- [`PLUGIN_DEVELOPER_FAQ.md`](PLUGIN_DEVELOPER_FAQ.md) - Plugin development and distribution questions
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- [`SAAS_MSP_GUIDANCE.md`](SAAS_MSP_GUIDANCE.md) - SaaS and MSP hosting scenarios
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- [`ENFORCEMENT_TELEMETRY_POLICY.md`](ENFORCEMENT_TELEMETRY_POLICY.md) - Audit and telemetry details
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- [`COMPLIANCE_ATTESTATION_FORM.md`](COMPLIANCE_ATTESTATION_FORM.md) - Self-attestation process
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- [`LICENSE-ADDENDUM-COMMUNITY-PLUGIN-GRANT.md`](../../LICENSE-ADDENDUM-COMMUNITY-PLUGIN-GRANT.md) - Full addendum text
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---
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## 6 - Change-log
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| Version | Date | Notes |
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|---------|------|-------|
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| **3.1** | 2026-01-25 | Added cross-references to Community Plugin Grant documentation. |
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| **3.0** | 2026-01-20 | Updated for BUSL-1.1 Additional Use Grant. |
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| **2.1** | 2026-01-20 | Updated for Apache-2.0 licensing (superseded by BUSL-1.1 in v3.0). |
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| **2.0** | 2025-07-16 | Removed runtime quota details; linked to new authoritative overview. |
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| 1.0 | 2024-12-20 | Initial legal FAQ. | |