CeCILL-C Free Software License Agreement
Also known as CECILL-C, CeCILL-C, CeCILL-C Free Software License Agreement.
- Commercial use
- allowed
- Share alike
- required
- Attribution
- required (keep the copyright and license notices)
Permissions
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Change license from the text Replacing the license of the work, or of an adaptation, with another license, or changing its terms.
Duties
- Use a compliant license from the text Choosing a replacement license that stays compliant with the terms of the original license.
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Charge distribution fee from the text Charging a fee for the act of providing a copy of the work to someone else.
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Commercial use from the text Using the work to generate income, directly or indirectly, for example by selling it or by using it in advertising.
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Derivative works from the text Distributing an adaptation of the work and making it available to the public.
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Derive from the text Creating a new work from the work, such as a translation, adaptation or arrangement of it or of a part of it.
Duties
- Attribution from the text Giving credit to the copyright holders or authors of the work, in the form the licensor asks for.
- Modification notice from the text Marking a changed work as changed, saying how it differs from the original and keeping earlier notices of change.
- Notice from the text Notice: keeping the license and copyright notices with every copy.
- Share alike from the text Adaptations have to be licensed under the same license or one the license names as compatible.
- Source code from the text Providing access to the source code of the work with every copy distributed.
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Duties
- No-warranty notice from the text Attaching a notice that the work is provided without any warranty.
- Notice from the text Notice: keeping the license and copyright notices with every copy.
- Share alike from the text Adaptations have to be licensed under the same license or one the license names as compatible.
- Source code from the text Providing access to the source code of the work with every copy distributed.
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Modified works from the text Distributing a modified version of the work that does not amount to a new, derivative work.
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Modify from the text Altering the work, for example by updating it, without creating a new work; an alteration that creates a new work is Derive.
Duties
- Attribution from the text Giving credit to the copyright holders or authors of the work, in the form the licensor asks for.
- Modification notice from the text Marking a changed work as changed, saying how it differs from the original and keeping earlier notices of change.
- Notice from the text Notice: keeping the license and copyright notices with every copy.
- Share alike from the text Adaptations have to be licensed under the same license or one the license names as compatible.
- Source code from the text Providing access to the source code of the work with every copy distributed.
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Patent grant from the text Granting a license under the patent claims that a contributor holds and that the contribution necessarily infringes.
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Present from the text Performing the work in public, including by broadcast or other communication to the public.
Prohibitions
This license states no prohibitions.
License-wide duties
This license states no duties that apply to the work as a whole.
Further terms
These are the things the license says about itself beyond the acts it permits, forbids and requires: when it ends, how long there is to put a breach right, which law governs it, and so on. A term that comes from the DALICC vocabulary links to its definition.
- Compatible license test
- another agreement of the CeCILL family
- Or later version option
- Yes
- Sublicense survival
- Yes
- Terminates on breach
- Yes
Clauses
Warranty disclaimer
9.3 The Licensee acknowledges that the Software is supplied "as is" by the Licensor without any other express or tacit warranty, other than that provided for in Article 9.2 and, in particular, without any warranty as to its commercial value, its secured, safe, innovative or relevant nature. Specifically, the Licensor does not warrant that the Software is free from any error, that it will operate without interruption, that it will be compatible with the Licensee's own equipment and software configuration, nor that it will meet the Licensee's requirements. 9.4 The Licensor does not either expressly or tacitly warrant that the Software does not infringe any third party intellectual property right relating to a patent, software or any other property right. Therefore, the Licensor disclaims any and all liability towards the Licensee arising out of any or all proceedings for infringement that may be instituted in respect of the use, modification and redistribution of the Software. Nevertheless, should such proceedings be instituted against the Licensee, the Licensor shall provide it with technical and legal assistance for its defense. Such technical and legal assistance shall be decided on a case-by-case basis between the relevant Licensor and the Licensee pursuant to a memorandum of understanding. The Licensor disclaims any and all liability as regards the Licensee's use of the name of the Software. No warranty is given as regards the existence of prior rights over the name of the Software or as regards the existence of a trademark.
Limitation of liability
8.1 Subject to the provisions of Article 8.2, the Licensee shall be entitled to claim compensation for any direct loss it may have suffered from the Software as a result of a fault on the part of the relevant Licensor, subject to providing evidence thereof. 8.2 The Licensor's liability is limited to the commitments made under this Agreement and shall not be incurred as a result of in particular: (i) loss due the Licensee's total or partial failure to fulfill its obligations, (ii) direct or consequential loss that is suffered by the Licensee due to the use or performance of the Software, and (iii) more generally, any consequential loss. In particular the Parties expressly agree that any or all pecuniary or business loss (i.e. loss of data, loss of profits, operating loss, loss of customers or orders, opportunity cost, any disturbance to business activities) or any or all legal proceedings instituted against the Licensee by a third party, shall constitute consequential loss and shall not provide entitlement to any or all compensation from the Licensor.
Accepting warranty or additional liability
7.2 Similarly, any Licensor is entitled to offer to its licensees, under its sole responsibility, a warranty, that shall only be binding upon itself, for the redistribution of the Software and/or the Modified Software, under terms and conditions that it is free to decide. Said warranty, and the financial terms and conditions of its application, shall be subject of a separate instrument executed between the Licensor and the Licensee.
Additional clauses
Article 2 - PURPOSE The purpose of the Agreement is the grant by the Licensor to the Licensee of a non-exclusive, transferable and worldwide license for the Software as set forth in Article 5 hereinafter for the whole term of the protection granted by the rights over said Software. 3.2 One copy of the Agreement, containing a notice relating to the characteristics of the Software, to the limited warranty, and to the fact that its use is restricted to experienced users has been provided to the Licensee prior to its acceptance as set forth in Article 3.1 hereinabove, and the Licensee hereby acknowledges that it has read and understood it. 4.2 TERM The Agreement shall remain in force for the entire legal term of protection of the economic rights over the Software. Besides, if the Licensor owns or comes to own one or more patents protecting all or part of the functions of the Software or of its components, the Licensor undertakes not to enforce the rights granted by these patents against successive Licensees using, exploiting or modifying the Software. If these patents are transferred, the Licensor undertakes to have the transferees subscribe to the obligations set forth in this paragraph. 5.3.1 DISTRIBUTION OF SOFTWARE WITHOUT MODIFICATION The Licensee is authorized to distribute true copies of the Software in Source Code or Object Code form, provided that said distribution complies with all the provisions of the Agreement and is accompanied by: 1. a copy of the Agreement, 2. a notice relating to the limitation of both the Licensor's warranty and liability as set forth in Articles 8 and 9, and that, in the event that only the Object Code of the Software is redistributed, the Licensee allows effective access to the full Source Code of the Software at a minimum during the entire period of its distribution of the Software, it being understood that the additional cost of acquiring the Source Code shall not exceed the cost of transferring the data. 5.3.2 DISTRIBUTION OF MODIFIED SOFTWARE When the Licensee makes an Integrated Contribution to the Software, the terms and conditions for the distribution of the resulting Modified Software become subject to all the provisions of this Agreement. The Licensee is authorized to distribute the Modified Software, in source code or object code form, provided that said distribution complies with all the provisions of the Agreement and is accompanied by: 1. a copy of the Agreement, 2. a notice relating to the limitation of both the Licensor's warranty and liability as set forth in Articles 8 and 9, and that, in the event that only the object code of the Modified Software is redistributed, the Licensee allows effective access to the full source code of the Modified Software at a minimum during the entire period of its distribution of the Modified Software, it being understood that the additional cost of acquiring the source code shall not exceed the cost of transferring the data. 5.3.3 DISTRIBUTION OF DERIVATIVE SOFTWARE When the Licensee creates Derivative Software, this Derivative Software may be distributed under a license agreement other than this Agreement, subject to compliance with the requirement to include a notice concerning the rights over the Software as defined in Article 6.4. In the event the creation of the Derivative Software required modification of the Source Code, the Licensee undertakes that: 1. the resulting Modified Software will be governed by this Agreement, 2. the Integrated Contributions in the resulting Modified Software will be clearly identified and documented, 3. the Licensee will allow effective access to the source code of the Modified Software, at a minimum during the entire period of distribution of the Derivative Software, such that such modifications may be carried over in a subsequent version of the Software; it being understood that the additional cost of purchasing the source code of the Modified Software shall not exceed the cost of transferring the data. 5.3.4 COMPATIBILITY WITH THE CeCILL LICENSE When a Modified Software contains an Integrated Contribution subject to the CeCILL license agreement, or when a Derivative Software contains a Related Module subject to the CeCILL license agreement, the provisions set forth in the third item of Article 6.4 are optional. 6.1 OVER THE INITIAL SOFTWARE The Holder owns the economic rights over the Initial Software. Any or all use of the Initial Software is subject to compliance with the terms and conditions under which the Holder has elected to distribute its work and no one shall be entitled to modify the terms and conditions for the distribution of said Initial Software. The Holder undertakes that the Initial Software will remain ruled at least by this Agreement, for the duration set forth in Article 4.2. 6.2 OVER THE INTEGRATED CONTRIBUTIONS The Licensee who develops an Integrated Contribution is the owner of the intellectual property rights over this Contribution as defined by applicable law. 6.3 OVER THE RELATED MODULES The Licensee who develops a Related Module is the owner of the intellectual property rights over this Related Module as defined by applicable law and is free to choose the type of agreement that shall govern its distribution under the conditions defined in Article 5.3.3. 6.4 NOTICE OF RIGHTS The Licensee expressly undertakes: 1. not to remove, or modify, in any manner, the intellectual property notices attached to the Software; 2. to reproduce said notices, in an identical manner, in the copies of the Software modified or not; 3. to ensure that use of the Software, its intellectual property notices and the fact that it is governed by the Agreement is indicated in a text that is easily accessible, specifically from the interface of any Derivative Software. The Licensee undertakes not to directly or indirectly infringe the intellectual property rights of the Holder and/or Contributors on the Software and to take, where applicable, vis-à-vis its staff, any and all measures required to ensure respect of said intellectual property rights of the Holder and/or Contributors. 7.1 Under no circumstances shall the Agreement oblige the Licensor to provide technical assistance or maintenance services for the Software. Article 10 - TERMINATION 10.1 In the event of a breach by the Licensee of its obligations hereunder, the Licensor may automatically terminate this Agreement thirty (30) days after notice has been sent to the Licensee and has remained ineffective. 10.2 A Licensee whose Agreement is terminated shall no longer be authorized to use, modify or distribute the Software. However, any licenses that it may have granted prior to termination of the Agreement shall remain valid subject to their having been granted in compliance with the terms and conditions hereof. 11.5 LANGUAGE The Agreement is drafted in both French and English and both versions are deemed authentic. Article 12 - NEW VERSIONS OF THE AGREEMENT 12.1 Any person is authorized to duplicate and distribute copies of this Agreement. 12.2 So as to ensure coherence, the wording of this Agreement is protected and may only be modified by the authors of the License, who reserve the right to periodically publish updates or new versions of the Agreement, each with a separate number. These subsequent versions may address new issues encountered by Free Software. 12.3 Any Software distributed under a given version of the Agreement may only be subsequently distributed under the same version of the Agreement or a subsequent version. Article 13 - GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION 13.1 The Agreement is governed by French law. The Parties agree to endeavor to seek an amicable solution to any disagreements or disputes that may arise during the performance of the Agreement. 13.2 Failing an amicable solution within two (2) months as from their occurrence, and unless emergency proceedings are necessary, the disagreements or disputes shall be referred to the Paris Courts having jurisdiction, by the more diligent Party. Version 1.0 dated 2006-09-05.
Info
- Target asset types
- Software
- Region / jurisdiction
- Worldwide
- Validity
- Perpetual
- Source
- https://spdx.org/licenses/CECILL-C.html
- Legal code
- http://www.cecill.info/licences/Licence_CeCILL-C_V1-en.html
- This description is published under
- https://dalicc.net/licenselibrary/CC-BY-4.0
- Publisher
- CEA, CNRS, INRIA
- Attribution name
- CEA, CNRS, INRIA
- SPDX identifier
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CECILL-Con the SPDX license list - DALICC identifier
CECILL-C
This record is published under CC BY 4.0. Credit it as: DALICC License Library, DALICC - Verein zur Förderung der Rechtssicherheit in der Datenbewirtschaftung, https://dalicc.net, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The license it describes belongs to its publisher.
History
This license model has 2 versions. Version 2 is the one served today; every earlier version keeps its own address, so a conclusion drawn from one of them can still be checked against it.
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Version 2 current2026-09-24 Giray Havur
Named the licence the record itself is published under, CC BY 4.0, by its canonical address beside cc:license.
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dct:license <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/>Manual edit Every record is published under CC BY 4.0. cc:license names the record DALICC keeps of that licence; dct:license now names it by the address Creative Commons publishes it at, so that a consumer matching the canonical IRI finds it.
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Version 1
Created from the license text on 2026-09-15 (CeCILL).
Every change names the reason behind it: a finding of the content review, one of its library-wide decisions, the metadata that review wrote onto every record, or a hand edit. None of it is legal advice.
Nothing on this page is legal advice. What a license means is decided by its text; ask a legal advisor before you rely on it.