
# **SHADOWLOCK LICENSE v1.1**

**Author:** Ben Meulenbeld

**Governing Law:** Netherlands

**Exclusive Court:** Rechtbank Amsterdam

**License Version:** 1.1

**Effective Date:** **21/11/2025**

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# **0. DEFINITIONS**

These definitions are strict and binding. Examples are illustrative, not limiting.

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### **0.1 “Software”**

“All materials” created by the Author, including but not limited to:

* source code
* binaries, executables, libraries
* scripts, automation files, configuration files
* documentation, examples, assets
* build systems, data files
* output generated by the Software
* updates, revisions, patches, prototypes

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### **0.2 “Author”**

The individual  **Ben Meulenbeld** , sole copyright holder.

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### **0.3 “Natural Person”**

A single human being acting privately, not representing or benefitting any Organization.

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### **0.4 “Organization”**

Any non-human or multi-person entity, including but not limited to:

* corporations, companies, startups
* governments, agencies
* NGOs, nonprofits, foundations
* schools, universities, research institutions
* labs, teams, clubs, private groups
* partners, sponsors, affiliates, subsidiaries, contractors
* any entity registered in any jurisdiction
* any group of two or more individuals acting collectively

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### **0.5 “Commercial Activity”**

Any activity involving economic value, including but not limited to:

* revenue, sales, monetization
* donations tied to usage
* sponsorship or funded activity
* creation of commercially useful research
* organizational financial benefit
* indirect monetization or commercial adjacency

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### **0.6 “Professional Activity”**

Any activity connected to employment or career advancement, including but not limited to:

* job tasks
* job training, skill development
* interview preparation
* certification preparation
* portfolio or résumé creation
* producing employer-beneficial output

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### **0.7 “Non-Commercial Educational Use”**

Use by schools or universities that meets all conditions:

1. No revenue or economic value is generated.
2. No sponsors, donors, or corporate partners benefit.
3. No competitions, hackathons, challenges, or certifications.
4. No research output is published or shared.
5. No professional preparation occurs.
6. No hosting, cloud sharing, or multi-user systems.
7. No redistribution of any kind.

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### **0.8 “Non-Commercial Nonprofit/Foundation Use”**

Use by nonprofits or foundations that meets all conditions:

1. No revenue, fundraising, or donor benefit.
2. No commercial partners benefit.
3. No professional development or training.
4. No publication or organizational output.
5. No hosting, cloud sharing, or shared systems.
6. No redistribution.

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### **0.9 “Redistribution”**

Any action that makes the Software available to others, including but not limited to:

* posting online, linking, sharing
* email, file transfer
* cloud storage accessible by others
* shared or multi-user devices
* servers, VPS, hosting, remote execution

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### **0.10 “Public Access”**

Any situation in which any third party could access, view, copy, or execute the Software.

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# **1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS**

### **1.1 Binding Acceptance**

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Software, the user agrees to be bound by this License.

If the user disagrees, they must not use the Software.

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# **2. COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

This License is a **copyright license** controlling the use, copying, storage, installation, and distribution of the Software.

The Author retains all ownership.

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# **3. GRANT OF RIGHTS**

### **3.1 Grant to Natural Persons (Personal Use Only)**

The Author grants a **limited, revocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive** license to a Natural Person to:

* download
* install
* execute
* privately store

the Software **strictly** under the conditions in Section 5.

No other rights are granted.

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### **3.2 Grant to Educational Entities (Non-Commercial Only)**

Schools and universities receive a **limited, revocable, non-exclusive** license to use the Software **only** as defined in Section 0.7.

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### **3.3 Grant to Nonprofits/Foundations (Non-Commercial Only)**

Nonprofits/foundations receive a **limited, revocable, non-exclusive** license to use the Software **only** as defined in Section 0.8.

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### **3.4 No Rights Outside This Section**

If a right is not explicitly granted, it is not granted.

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# **4. LICENSE DURATION**

This license is **perpetual** unless terminated under Section 10.

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# **5. PERMITTED PERSONAL USE**

Personal use is allowed **only** if **all** conditions below are met:

1. User is a Natural Person.
2. Use is purely private and non-commercial.
3. Use is not connected to employment or professional development.
4. No Organization benefits directly or indirectly.
5. Software is not shared, uploaded, transferred, or redistributed.
6. Software is stored only on devices exclusively accessible to the user.
7. Backups are allowed **only** if inaccessible to others (e.g., encrypted local backups).

Any violation moves the use into Section 6 (Prohibited Uses).

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# **6. PROHIBITED USES**

The following uses are strictly prohibited unless the Author grants written permission:

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### **6.1 Organizational Use**

Any use by or for an Organization, except as explicitly allowed by Sections 3.2 or 3.3.

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### **6.2 Commercial Use / Commercial Adjacency**

Including but not limited to:

* monetization
* sponsorship
* donor or partner benefit
* commercial research
* creation of commercially relevant outputs
* competitions, hackathons, coding challenges
* certifications or exam prep

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### **6.3 Professional Use**

Including but not limited to:

* skill development for jobs
* training, interview practice
* portfolio-building
* producing employer-beneficial material

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### **6.4 Sponsored, Partnered, or Affiliated Use**

No use benefiting partners, sponsors, donors, affiliates, subsidiaries, or contractors.

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### **6.5 Redistribution**

In any form, including:

* cloud sharing
* file transfer
* posting links
* multi-user systems
* shared devices
* hosting or remote execution

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### **6.6 Modification & Reverse Engineering**

Prohibited:

* modification, alteration, patches
* disassembly or decompilation
* creation of derivative works

#### **6.6.1 Legally Required Exception**

Where mandatory Dutch/EU law permits  **reverse engineering strictly for interoperability** , such limited action is allowed **only to the extent required by law** and no further.

All other modification remains prohibited.

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### **6.7 Hosting, Remote Execution, Automation**

Including but not limited to:

* VPS
* cloud execution
* remote desktops
* CI/CD
* batch automation
* containerized public access

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### **6.8 Automated Systems, AI, ML**

Including but not limited to:

* model training
* inference
* dataset creation
* automated pipelines

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### **6.9 Third-Party Toolchains**

Use in or with commercial/organizational toolchains is prohibited.

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# **7. SPECIAL EXCEPTION CLAUSE**

### **7.1 Author May Grant Written Exceptions**

The Author may grant exceptions to any Organization.

### **7.2 Exceptions Apply Only to Named Entities**

Permission applies only to the specific entity explicitly named.

### **7.3 Non-Transferable**

Exceptions may not be transferred, sublicensed, or broadened.

### **7.4 All Others Prohibited**

All organizations not explicitly named remain prohibited.

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# **8. SEVERABILITY**

If any provision of this License is held invalid, the remaining sections remain fully enforceable.

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# **9. LICENSE VERSIONING**

This License applies only to the specific version of the Software it accompanies.

Future versions of this License do **not** retroactively change earlier grants unless explicitly agreed by the user.

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# **10. TERMINATION**

Any breach results in  **immediate termination** .

User must delete all copies.

Continued use constitutes intentional copyright infringement.

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# **11. NON-TRANSFERABILITY**

All rights are non-transferable, non-assignable, and non-sublicensable.

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# **12. LEGAL FEES**

In disputes, the losing party shall reimburse the prevailing party’s reasonable legal fees, to the extent allowed under Dutch law.

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# **13. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS**

Mandatory Dutch/EU consumer rights for Natural Persons apply.

If a clause conflicts with mandatory law, mandatory law prevails.

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# **14. GOVERNING LAW & EXCLUSIVE COURT**

This License is governed solely by Dutch law.

All disputes shall be resolved exclusively by  **Rechtbank Amsterdam** .

No arbitration is used.

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# **15. WARRANTY DISCLAIMER**

The Software is provided  **“as is”** , without:

* warranties of any kind
* warranty of fitness for a particular purpose
* warranty of merchantability

The Author is not liable for damages except where prohibited by mandatory law.

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# **16. OWNERSHIP**

All rights not explicitly granted remain the exclusive property of the Author.

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# **17. CONTACT**

For permissions, exceptions, commercial licensing, or inquiries:

**[shadowlock_licence@proton.me]()**
