moko-platform/templates/licenses

License Templates

Purpose

This directory contains authoritative license files that serve as the official templates for all repositories in the mokoconsulting-tech organization. These files are the single source of truth for license text used across all projects.

Authoritative Licenses

The following license files are maintained as authoritative sources:

GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0 or later)

File: GPL-3.0

SPDX Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later

Usage: This is the primary and default license for all Moko Consulting projects unless explicitly specified otherwise.

Source: Official text from Free Software Foundation (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)

Default License For:

• Generic repositories (default)
• Joomla/WaaS component repositories (default)
• Dolibarr/CRM module repositories (default)
• All software projects, libraries, frameworks, tools and utilities

Repository Requirements:

• Copy this file to repository root as LICENSE (no extension)
• Include copyright notice in project files
• Update copyright year and owner in project header comments

MIT License

File: MIT

SPDX Identifier: MIT

Usage: Alternative permissive license for specific use cases.

When to Use:

• When GPL compatibility is not required
• Maximum permissiveness desired
• Integration with MIT-licensed dependencies

Apache License 2.0

File: Apache-2.0

SPDX Identifier: Apache-2.0

Usage: Alternative license providing patent protection.

When to Use:

• Projects requiring explicit patent grant
• Apache ecosystem integration
• When patent protection is critical

Using These Licenses

For New Repositories

1. Copy the license file to your repository root:

   # From your repository root
   cp /path/to/MokoStandards/templates/licenses/GPL-3.0 ./LICENSE
   

2. No file extension: The LICENSE file must not have an extension (use LICENSE, not LICENSE.txt or LICENSE.md)

3. Add copyright notice: Update your project's README and source files with appropriate copyright notices

4. Reference in documentation: Mention the license in your README.md

For Existing Repositories

1. Verify license text: Compare your existing LICENSE file with the authoritative version
2. Update if needed: If text differs, update to match the authoritative version
3. Document changes: Note license updates in CHANGELOG.md

Updating License Templates

When updating these authoritative license files:

1. Verify source: Ensure updates come from official sources (FSF, OSI, Apache Foundation)
2. Document changes: Update this README with change details
3. Notify stakeholders: Announce updates to development team
4. Version control: Commit changes with detailed commit message
5. Propagate: Update existing repositories as needed

License Selection Guide

Decision Tree

Is this a new Moko Consulting project?
  └─ Yes → Use GPL-3.0-or-later (default)
  └─ No → See exceptions below

Project Type Default Licenses:
  - Generic Repository → GPL-3.0-or-later
  - Joomla/WaaS Component → GPL-3.0-or-later
  - Dolibarr/CRM Module → GPL-3.0-or-later

Exceptions requiring different licenses:
  - Third-party integration requiring MIT → Use MIT
  - Patent-sensitive project → Use Apache-2.0
  - Client-specific requirements → Consult legal team

Compatibility Matrix

Your License	Can Use GPL-3.0	Can Use MIT	Can Use Apache-2.0
GPL-3.0-or-later	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
MIT	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Apache-2.0	⚠️ Compatible but becomes GPL	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Compliance Requirements

GPL-3.0-or-later Projects

Must:

• Include complete license text in LICENSE file
• Include copyright notice in source files
• Provide source code to recipients
• Document modifications to GPL code
• License derivative works under GPL-3.0-or-later

Must Not:

• Remove or modify license text
• Claim proprietary ownership of GPL code
• Impose additional restrictions

File Headers

Include this header in all source files:

Copyright (C) [YEAR] Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>

This file is part of [PROJECT NAME].

SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later

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 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 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 <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

Verification

Verify License Text Integrity

# Check if your LICENSE matches the authoritative version
diff LICENSE /path/to/MokoStandards/templates/licenses/GPL-3.0

# Calculate checksum for verification
sha256sum LICENSE

Automated Verification

The repository health workflow automatically verifies:

• LICENSE file exists
• LICENSE file has no extension
• License text matches authoritative version (for GPL-3.0)
• SPDX identifier is present in source files

References

• GNU GPL v3.0 Official
• SPDX License List
• Choose a License
• GPL Compliance Guide
• MokoStandards License Policy

Maintenance

Owner: Legal/Compliance Team Review Cycle: Annual or when FSF updates licenses Last Updated: 2026-01-16 Next Review: 2027-01-16

Change History

Date	Change	Reason	Author
2026-01-16	Initial creation with GPL-3.0	Establish authoritative license source	GitHub Copilot

Contact

For questions about license selection or compliance:

• Email: legal@mokoconsulting.tech
• Documentation: See License Compliance Policy
• Issues: Open an issue in MokoStandards repository