1) What is the Firetrust Public License (FPL)?

The Firetrust Public License is an amended version of the Mozilla Public License (MPL) v1.1. Because the Mozilla Public License was originally written to specifically cover the Mozilla source code and not serve as a general purpose open source license, Firetrust Limited made a few modifications specific to MailWasher Server. The FPL covers the entire source code comprising the MailWasher Server Open Source project.

2) What were the changes to the Mozilla Public License?

First, we changed every reference to Netscape or Mozilla to Firetrust. Second, we added Exhibit B which contains the following two sections.

Section I – This is lawyer-speak that simply states Exhibit B applies to all of the source code that the FPL covers.

Section II – In order to maintain the Firetrust brand, this section restricts people from using the Firetrust name and logos without permission from Firetrust Limited. However, we do ask that you keep the ‘Powered by Firetrust’ logo at the bottom of application screens.

3) What am I allowed to do with code that is covered by the FPL?

Many things. We are dedicated to building the strongest and most involved open source community possible. The FPL allows you to:

1. Run MailWasher Server for your business.
2. Implement and integrate MailWasher Server for companies.
3. Fix bugs.
4. Freely distribute the FPL-covered source code.
5. Share contributions.
6. Sell new modules that you create under a license other than the FPL.

4) What am I not allowed to do with code that is covered by the FPL?

1. Sell any FPL-covered code.
2. Sell derived works of MailWasher Server.
3. Restrict access to derived works of MailWasher Server. If you make a code modification available to one person, you are required by the FPL to make that derived work freely available to everybody.

5) Can I sell new Firetrust modules I create?

That depends. If you write a new module that is not a derived work (see below), then you own that code and can do with it what you please. In other words, you can sell it and distribute it under any license you wish. The key is that you can’t sell a derived work of the original Firetrust code or any other code covered by the FPL.

6) What is a derived work?

The simple rule to follow is if you modified any file in MailWasher Server other than a configuration file such as config.php, you have created a derived work. However, if you do nothing but add new source files to MailWasher Server, then your code is not a derived work.

1. Examples of a derived work. These all apply to source code initially made available under the FPL.
1. Any code modifications other than changes in a configuration file.
2. Including bug fixes.
3. Adding or removing fields.
4. Modifying API’s.
5. Modifying existing code to add a new API.
2. Examples of code that wouldn’t be considered a derived work.
1. An entirely new language pack.
2. An entirely new template.
3. An entirely new module that may use existing API’s.

7) Do I own the code I write?

Absolutely. Whether the code you write is a derived work of Firetrust or completely new code, you own the copyright to that code. However, if you modify code covered by the FPL (i.e. create a derived work), the FPL license and everything it grants and restricts still applies to your code. Most importantly, you can’t sell a derived work and must make it publicly available.