License

License

The Component Marking Decoder is released under the Apache License 2.0, a widely used open-source license. The full text is in the LICENSE file, and the required attribution notices are in the NOTICE file. This page is a plain-language summary. If the two ever disagree, the LICENSE file is the one that counts.

What am I allowed to do?

• Use it for personal, educational, and commercial purposes.
• Copy it, host it, and distribute it.
• Modify it and add your own features, data, and content.
• Include it in a larger product or website, and sell it as part of that product.
• Rely on the patent grant: each contributor grants you a license to any patents they hold that cover their contribution.

It is free, with no fee and no registration.

What must I keep?

If you distribute the tool or a modified version of it:

1. Include a copy of the Apache 2.0 license with it.
2. Keep the copyright and attribution notices from the source files.
3. Keep the NOTICE contents. The NOTICE file credits TheMakersWorkbench.com ("Developed and Maintained by TheMakersWorkbench.com"). A derivative work must include a readable copy of those attribution notices, either in a NOTICE file shipped with it, in its documentation or source, or in a display it generates (such as the footer or About tab).
4. Mark the files you changed with a prominent note that you changed them.

You can add your own copyright line and your own attribution for your own changes, alongside ours.

What about the footer and the About tab?

The tool shows "Developed and Maintained by TheMakersWorkbench.com" in its footer, with links to the project, license, and User Guide. Keeping that footer is one of the simplest ways to meet the NOTICE requirement, and we ask that you keep it visible so people who find the tool on your site can trace it back to its source.

What does Apache 2.0 not give me?

It does not grant any right to use the TheMakersWorkbench.com name or logo as your own trademark, other than reasonably describing where the software came from.

Is there a warranty?

No. The software is provided "as is". The values and markings can differ between manufacturers and may contain errors. Always confirm against the datasheet for your exact part, and do not rely on the tool alone for safety-critical decisions.

Questions?

Open an issue on the GitHub project, or contact TheMakersWorkbench.com. If you need legal certainty for a specific use, ask a lawyer.