17 Licensing
JASP is open-source software with a dual-license structure. Understanding these licenses ensures your module and contributions carry the correct headers.
17.1 License Structure
| Component | License | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| JASP Desktop (GUI) | AGPL-3.0-or-later | Desktop binary, built from Desktop/ + Common/ |
| JASP Engine | GPL-2.0-or-later | Engine binary, built from Engine/ + Common/ |
| Common code | GPL-2.0-or-later | Shared between Desktop and Engine |
| R module code | GPL-2.0-or-later | Analysis R files, QML files |
17.1.1 Why Two Licenses?
The GUI uses AGPL-3+ to ensure that any hosted version of JASP (e.g., a web service) must also share its source code. The Engine uses GPL-2+ because R itself is GPL-licensed, and the engine links directly with R.
17.2 Copyright Headers
Every source file must have a copyright and license header.
17.2.1 R Files (.R)
#
# Copyright (C) 2024 University of Amsterdam
#
# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
#17.2.2 C++ / QML Files (Desktop — AGPL)
//
// Copyright (C) 2024 University of Amsterdam
//
// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
// it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
// published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
// License, or (at your option) any later version.
//
// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
// GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
//
// You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public
// License along with this program. If not, see
// <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
//17.2.3 C++ Files (Engine/Common — GPL)
//
// Copyright (C) 2024 University of Amsterdam
//
// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
// the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
// (at your option) any later version.
//
// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
// GNU General Public License for more details.
//
// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
// along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
//17.3 Who Holds Copyright?
| Contributor type | Copyright line |
|---|---|
| University of Amsterdam employee | Copyright (C) YEAR University of Amsterdam |
| External contributor | Copyright (C) YEAR Your Full Name |
| Modifying an existing file | Add your name/organization below the existing copyright |