Section 18 ‐ Legal Framework - ApertureViewer/Aperture-Opertations-Manual GitHub Wiki

Aperture Viewer operates within a specific legal framework defined by its open-source license, agreements with contributors and users, and relevant platform policies.

18.1 Project License (GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1)

  • Governing License: Aperture Viewer is open-source software distributed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1 (LGPL v2.1).
  • Source and Obligations: This license is inherited from its upstream sources (Firestorm Viewer and the official Linden Lab Second Life Viewer). The Project Lead and all contributors are obligated to adhere to all terms and conditions of the LGPL v2.1.
  • Key Freedoms: The LGPL v2.1 grants users the freedom to use, study, modify, and redistribute the software.
  • Full License Text: A copy of the LGPL v2.1 is included with the Aperture Viewer source code (typically LICENSE.txt) and is also provided in Appendix [K] of this Aperture Operating Manual.
  • Policy Reference: The Project's detailed interpretation and policy regarding open-source licensing, particularly key LGPL clauses, are found in Appendix [P] ("Our Approach to Open-Source, Licensing, and Collaboration").

18.2 Contributor Agreements (CLA)

  • Purpose: To ensure that the Aperture Viewer project has the necessary legal rights to incorporate, modify, and distribute contributions (code, documentation, artwork, etc.) under its LGPL v2.1 license. This protects both the contributor and the Project.
  • Requirement: All formal team members and any external individuals submitting significant contributions must sign the Aperture Viewer Contributor License Agreement (CLA) before their contributions can be merged.
  • Template: The standard Aperture Viewer CLA is provided in Appendix [K] of this AOM.

18.3 Privacy Policy

  • Commitment to Privacy: Aperture Viewer is designed with user privacy as a core principle. The project is committed to transparency regarding any potential data interactions.
  • No Intentional Data Collection: As detailed in the Privacy Policy, Aperture Viewer does not intentionally collect personal user data during its standard and intended operation.
  • User Responsibility: Users are responsible for understanding the privacy policies of external services (e.g., Second Life, OpenSimulator grids) accessed via Aperture Viewer.
  • Full Policy Text: The complete Aperture Viewer Privacy Policy, detailing data handling practices (or lack thereof), scope, limitations, and user responsibilities, is provided in Appendix [J] of this AOM and is also available on the Aperture Viewer Wiki ([Link-To-Privacy-Policy-Wiki-Page]).

18.4 Terms of Service (ToS)

  • Primary Governing Terms for Platform Access (Second Life ToS):
    • When using Aperture Viewer to access Second Life, users are primarily and unequivocally bound by the Second Life Terms of Service as set forth by Linden Research, Inc. (Linden Lab).
    • Aperture Viewer facilitates access to Second Life, but all in-world activities and use of the Second Life service itself are governed by Linden Lab's ToS.
    • The official Second Life ToS can be found here: https://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php (and is also referenced on the Aperture Viewer Wiki).
  • Aperture Viewer Software Usage (Implied by LGPL & AOM):
    • The use of the Aperture Viewer software itself is governed by its open-source license, the LGPL v2.1 (see Section 18.1 and Appendix [K]).
    • This Aperture Operating Manual (AOM), including its Code of Conduct (Appendix [E]) and other policies, outlines the expected standards of behavior for participation in the Aperture Viewer project community and team.
    • No Additional Aperture-Specific ToS for Software Use: Beyond the LGPL for the software and the community/contribution guidelines within this AOM, Aperture Viewer does not currently impose additional, separate "Terms of Service" for the mere act of using the compiled viewer application. The project relies on the LGPL to define rights and responsibilities regarding the software code and its distribution, and on Linden Lab's ToS for platform usage.

18.5 Disclaimer of Warranty / Limitation of Liability

  • As per LGPL v2.1: The GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1, under which Aperture Viewer is distributed, contains explicit sections (typically Sections 11 and 12 of the GPL v2, which LGPL v2.1 incorporates and refers to for warranty/liability) disclaiming warranties and limiting liability. Specifically:
    • The software is provided "AS IS," WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of MERCHANTABILITY and FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
    • The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the program is with the user.
    • In no event unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing will any copyright holder, or any other party who may modify and/or redistribute the program as permitted above, be liable for damages, including any general, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the program.
  • Aperture Viewer Project Stance: The Aperture Viewer project and its Project Lead (William Weaver) reiterate and adopt these disclaimers and limitations of liability as provided by the LGPL v2.1.
  • Privacy Policy Limitation of Liability: Further specific limitations of liability concerning data security and unintentional data collection are outlined in the Aperture Viewer Privacy Policy (Appendix [J], Section 6).

Users download, install, and use Aperture Viewer at their own risk, understanding these disclaimers and limitations.