Zenzic Compliance: Apache-2.0 + REUSE 3.3

"Every file in Zenzic carries the cryptographic signature of its license. There are no dark corners."

1. The License

Zenzic is distributed as free and open-source software under the Apache License 2.0. This is not a policy choice — it is an engineering commitment. It permits free use, modification, and distribution in all environments, including commercial contexts. Apache-2.0 provides:

Permission	Details
✅ Commercial use	No restrictions
✅ Modification	Fork, patch, extend
✅ Distribution	Redistribute under same license
✅ Patent grant	Explicit patent license from all contributors

Conditions:

Preserve the LICENSE and NOTICE files in distributions.
State significant changes in modified versions.

Full text: LICENSE file at the root of each Zenzic repository.

2. The License Signature — SPDX + REUSE 3.3

Every source file in Zenzic carries an SPDX header — a machine-readable declaration of authorship and license:

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 PythonWoods <[email protected]>
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

This is not a comment. It is a license signature — machine-parseable by any REUSE 3.3-compliant tool, including reuse lint.

Files without an individual header are covered by REUSE.toml bulk declarations:

REUSE.toml
[[annotations]]
path = ["docs/**", "i18n/**", "*.md"]
SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2026 PythonWoods <[email protected]>"
SPDX-License-Identifier = "Apache-2.0"

[[annotations]]
path = ["build/**", "node_modules/**", ".docusaurus/**"]
SPDX-FileCopyrightText = "2026 PythonWoods <[email protected]>"
SPDX-License-Identifier = "Apache-2.0"

Coverage strategy:

Component	Method
Python source files	Per-file SPDX header
Shell scripts	Per-file SPDX header
Configuration (TOML, YAML)	Per-file header or `REUSE.toml`
Documentation (`.mdx`, `.md`)	`REUSE.toml` bulk declaration
Auto-generated files	`REUSE.toml` coverage
Binary assets (SVG, PNG)	`REUSE.toml` bulk declaration

3. The Single Gate of Truth

uv run reuse lint

This is the only authorised compliance verification command. It:

Parses every SPDX header in every file.
Validates all REUSE.toml bulk declarations.
Reports any file without coverage as a compliance failure.
Returns exit 0 only when 100% of files have a declared license.

Expected output:

Congratulations! Your project is compliant with version 3.3 of the REUSE Specification.

This gate runs in:

The Zenzic Guard pre-commit hook (hook 8 of 8)
just verify — the full local final guard

Any PR that fails uv run reuse lint does not merge.

Operational note: if a reference endpoint times out in the final guard, keep the document content unchanged and use the local permalink instead of an external URL. For the adapter guide, link to /developers/how-to/implement-adapter so the guard checks the real site route without depending on a remote fetch.

4. Contributor Policy — No CLA, Multi-Author Copyright

Zenzic uses the multi-author copyright model. No Contributor License Agreement (CLA) is required.

Scenario	Action
New file (any contributor)	Add your own SPDX copyright line
Small change (< 10 lines)	Keep existing headers unchanged
Substantial contribution	Append your copyright line below existing lines

Example of multi-author file:

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 PythonWoods <[email protected]>
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Contributor Name <[email protected]>
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

You retain copyright of your contribution. The Apache-2.0 license — including its patent grant — applies automatically upon submission.

5. Third-Party Dependency Policy

Zenzic may only depend on libraries with Apache-2.0-compatible licenses:

License	Compatible	Notes
MIT	✅	Permissive
BSD 2/3-Clause	✅	Permissive
Apache-2.0	✅	Identical
LGPL-3.0	✅	Library use only
ISC	✅	MIT-equivalent
GPL-2.0 / GPL-3.0	❌	Copyleft contamination
Proprietary	❌	Not open-source

When adding a dependency:

Verify license compatibility above.
Add to the NOTICE file: name, URL, copyright holder, license identifier.
Run uv run reuse lint — no regressions accepted.

6. Legal Disclaimer

This document provides operational guidance, not legal advice. For questions regarding Apache-2.0 compliance, patent grants, or contribution rights in your jurisdiction, consult qualified legal counsel.

References:

Apache License 2.0
REUSE 3.3 Specification
SPDX License List

1. The License​

2. The License Signature — SPDX + REUSE 3.3​

3. The Single Gate of Truth​

4. Contributor Policy — No CLA, Multi-Author Copyright​

5. Third-Party Dependency Policy​

6. Legal Disclaimer​