Serial-Studio/LICENSE.md

Serial Studio License
=====================  

This software is dual-licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3) 
for open-source users and a Commercial License for business and professional 
users. See below for details.  

GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3)  
===================================== 
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/>.  

### GPLv3 Features  
Under the GPLv3 license, you may:
- Use the software for personal, educational, or open-source projects, in 
  compliance with the GPLv3 terms.
- Access the core functionality of Serial Studio without feature restrictions.  

#### Additional Notice for GPLv3 Users:  
- **Session Continuity Beyond 30 Minutes:** Once the dashboard is displayed, the
  software will prompt the user every 30 minutes to restart the application to 
  continue using it. This is a user notification to encourage consideration of 
  the Commercial License and does not impose technical restrictions. 
  Users are free to modify the source code to remove this prompt in compliance 
  with the GPLv3.  
- **MQTT Functionality:** MQTT integration is available exclusively under the 
  Commercial License and is not included in the GPLv3 version.  

**Value-Added Services**: These optional features are enhancements that go 
beyond the core functionality of Serial Studio. They are offered as part of the 
Commercial License to provide additional integrations, better user experience, 
or specialized support.  

Commercial License  
==================  
For business or professional use, purchasing a Commercial License is required.  

#### Benefits for Commercial Users:  
- Full access to **MQTT functionality**.  
- Unlimited session continuity (no 30-minute restart reminders).  
- Priority support via email, GitHub, and video calls.  

#### Scope of Use:  
Commercial users may use the software in business, enterprise, or proprietary 
applications while complying with the restrictions outlined below.

#### Commercial License Limitations:  
- Commercial users may not repackage, modify, rebrand, or redistribute the 
  software under a different name or identity without explicit, written 
  permission from the original author.  
- Modifications and redistributions under the Commercial License must respect 
  the original author's intellectual property and trademarks.  

Additional Notes
================

- **Trademark Notice:** The name "Serial Studio" and its logo are trademarks of 
  the author. Use of these trademarks in modified versions or derivative works 
  requires explicit permission.  
- **Technical Support:** Support is exclusively available for Commercial License 
  users. Open-source users are encouraged to consult the documentation, 
  and the community forums (issues & discussions) available in the GitHub 
  repository.  
- **Modifications under GPLv3:** Users modifying the software under the GPLv3 
  license are responsible for ensuring compatibility with future updates or 
  feature stability.  

Examples of Permitted and Prohibited Use 
========================================

**Permitted under GPLv3:**  
- Running Serial Studio for an university research project.  
- Including it in an open-source IoT platform.  
- Using it for personal and non-commercial projects.

**Prohibited without a Commercial License:**  
- Using Serial Studio as part of a commercial product offered to customers.  
- Deploying Serial Studio in an enterprise environment without purchasing the 
  Commercial License.  

### For More Information  

To learn more about the Commercial License or purchase a license, visit the 
official website: <https://serial-studio.com>.  

For questions, licensing inquiries, or support, email: <alex@serial-studio.com>