Developer License

Source-as-Course License Terms

Plain English. No lawyer required.

v1.0 — BOARD APPROVED

Plain English Summary

What you can and can't do.

You CAN:

You CANNOT:

Key Terms

The important bits.

10% Royalty on Derivatives

If you ship a commercial product derived from our source code, you owe Multiverse Studios 10% of gross revenue from that product. This applies to all tiers. Non-commercial projects are royalty-free.

No Refunds

Once you receive access to the source repository, the sale is final. You are buying access to intellectual property — it cannot be "returned." We encourage you to read the game page and documentation thoroughly before purchasing.

Attribution Required

All derivative works must include visible attribution: "Built with source from Multiverse Studios (multiversestudios.xyz)". This can be in your about page, credits, or README.

Tier Scope

Individual ($1,000): One person. Your projects only.
Studio ($100,000): Your entire organization. Team access.
Education ($350): Students/educators. Classroom use. Same derivative rights.

Royalty Reporting

How to report and pay royalties.

When to report

Royalties are reported quarterly. Reports are due within 30 days of quarter end (April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31).

What to report

Gross revenue from all products that incorporate code from the licensed repository. Include: direct sales, subscriptions, in-app purchases, and licensing fees. Exclude: taxes, platform fees (Steam/Apple/Google cut), and refunds.

How to pay

Email your quarterly report to [email protected] with gross revenue figures. We will send a Stripe invoice for 10% of reported revenue. Payment is due within 14 days of invoice.

Minimum threshold

No royalty payment is required for quarters where gross derivative revenue is under $500. You must still submit the report.

Full License Text

Multiverse Studios Source-as-Course Developer License v1.0

v1.0 — BOARD APPROVED

Section 1. Definitions

"Licensor" means Multiverse Studios, a project of The Multiverse School. "Licensee" means the individual or organization that purchases a Source-as-Course license. "Source Material" means the game source code, assets, documentation, and build configuration provided via the licensed Gitea repository. "Derivative Work" means any software product that incorporates, adapts, or is substantially based on the Source Material. "Commercial Use" means any use that generates revenue, directly or indirectly.

Section 2. Grant of License

Subject to the terms of this agreement, Licensor grants Licensee a non-exclusive, non-transferable, perpetual license to access, read, modify, and create Derivative Works from the Source Material. The scope of this grant is limited by the tier purchased (Individual, Studio, or Education).

Section 3. Tier Scope

Individual Tier ($1,000): License is granted to one natural person. Source Material may be used in projects where the Licensee is the sole developer or a contributor, but may not be shared with or accessed by other team members unless they hold their own license.

Studio Tier ($100,000): License is granted to one legal entity and all current employees, contractors, and agents. Access may be shared within the organization. The license remains with the organization, not with individuals who depart.

Education Tier ($350): License is granted to one natural person for educational purposes. Students and educators may use Source Material in coursework, teaching materials, and personal projects. The same derivative rights and royalty obligations apply as other tiers.

Section 4. Royalties

Licensee agrees to pay Licensor a royalty of ten percent (10%) of gross revenue from any Derivative Work used for Commercial Use. Royalties are reported and paid quarterly as described in the Royalty Reporting section. The minimum reporting threshold is $500 per quarter; below this amount, no payment is due but reports must still be filed. Licensor reserves the right to audit Licensee's revenue records with 30 days written notice.

Section 5. Attribution

All Derivative Works must include the following attribution in a reasonably discoverable location (e.g., about page, credits screen, README): "Built with source from Multiverse Studios (multiversestudios.xyz)". Failure to attribute does not terminate the license but constitutes a breach that must be remedied within 30 days of written notice.

Section 6. Restrictions

Licensee may NOT: (a) redistribute the Source Material in its original or substantially similar form; (b) publish the Source Material to any public repository; (c) sublicense, sell, or transfer access to the Source Material; (d) use the Source Material to create a competing source-as-course or source-code-learning product; (e) remove copyright notices or attribution from the Source Material; (f) share Gitea credentials or repository access with unlicensed parties.

Section 7. No Refunds

All sales are final. Once access to the Source Material repository has been granted, no refund will be issued under any circumstances. Licensee acknowledges that they are purchasing access to intellectual property that cannot be "returned" once viewed.

Section 8. Termination

This license may be terminated by Licensor if Licensee materially breaches any term and fails to cure the breach within 30 days of written notice. Upon termination, Licensee must destroy all copies of the Source Material and cease use of any code derived from it in new projects. Derivative Works already shipped before termination may continue to operate subject to ongoing royalty obligations.

Section 9. Warranty Disclaimer

The Source Material is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Licensor does not guarantee that the code is free of bugs, suitable for any particular purpose, or that it will be maintained or updated. Licensee uses the Source Material at their own risk.

Section 10. Governing Law

This agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California, United States. Any disputes arising from this agreement shall be resolved through binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

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