ZF Zend Framework

We welcome and encourage contributions to the Zend Framework community. Anyone may report issues or feature requests in our issue tracker, and ask questions and/or provide answers on the mailing lists. We also encourage you to publish articles or code on your own blog or website as well as on public blogs and web sites such as the Zend Developer Zone. However, anything that could constitute intellectual property (code patches, proposals) to be included in Zend Framework must be contributed under the terms of the Contributor License Agreement (CLA).

Anyone wishing to contribute code, patches, and proposals to Zend Framework must complete two steps before anything is submitted:

1. Read and understand the New BSD License, which is how all parts of Zend Framework (including all contributions to it) are licensed.
2. Submit a signed CLA by either submitting an Individual CLA if you are submitting code as an individual or a Corporate CLA for anyone who is submitting code as an employee of a company.

To submit a CLA, download and print one of the agreements above. Fill it out completely making sure to:

• Print clearly using large letters
• Include your name and email address
• Include your Issue Tracker username (Don't have an Issue Tracker account? Get one here!)
• If we place your Issue Tracker username into the "developer group" within the Issue Tracker, other contributors will know that you signed the CLA, and that your submitted code and patches may be used. Unless we receive instructions from you for a confidential CLA, expect to have your Issue Tracker account placed into the "developer group". In some rare instances, a corporation might wish to make a confidential code contribution.
• Sign and date the CLA.

When completed you may submit the CLA in one of three ways:

1. Electronically: Email a 1500+ pixel wide JPEG/PNG copy of the CLA to cla@zend.com, or
2. Send a fax of the CLA to: +1-408-253-8801 (if a scan is not possible) and send an email to cla@zend.com, or
3. Send a signed version of the CLA via postal mail to:
   Zend Technologies, Inc.
   ATTN: Zend Framework CLA Agreements
   19200 Stevens Creek Blvd.
   Suite 100
   Cupertino, CA 95014 USA
   and send an email to cla@zend.com

When we receive a CLA we usually respond within 5 business days. You will receive a confirmation of your CLA to the email address listed on the CLA. If you have not received confirmation of receipt within a reasonable period of time contact cla@zend.com and we will try to resolve the issue.

CLA FAQ

• What does Contributor License Agreement (CLA) actually mean?
• This whole business around CLA sounds so corporate to me. I've been using lots of open-source projects for my business and never had any issues.
• So how does the CLA actually protect the Zend Framework user base?
• Do I lose the rights to my work if I contribute code to Zend Framework after having signed the CLA?
• I am a minor child (i.e., under 18 years of age). Who should sign the CLA?

What does Contributor License Agreement (CLA) actually mean?

By signing a CLA, the person contributing source code provides a copyright license to Zend to use the source code he submitted in Zend Framework. By doing so, the contributor does not give up his own rights or copyright to his own code, but provides us with a copyright license. In addition, the purpose of the CLA is to clearly define the terms under which intellectual property has been contributed to Zend Framework and to make sure that to the best of the contributor's knowledge he is entitled to make such contribution and is not violating anyone else's intellectual property.

This whole business around CLA sounds so corporate to me. I've been using lots of open-source projects for my business and never had any issues.

Actually, the CLA doesn't just protect large companies; it protects all users including small and medium businesses and individuals. By having a CLA in place, we mitigate the risk that companies who claim intellectual property infringement may demand royalties or fees from users of the Zend Framework, whether individuals or companies. This is especially important for companies who are planning to base their business or products on Zend Framework. The CLA helps to assure that the code and other IP in Zend Framework remains free.

So how does the CLA actually protect the Zend Framework user base?

As mentioned, by requiring contributors to sign a CLA, we mitigate the risk of accepting contributions which infringe third parties' intellectual property rights.

Do I lose the rights to my work if I contribute code to Zend Framework after having signed the CLA?

No. By signing the CLA you do grant Zend the right to use your contribution, but as stated in the CLA, "You reserve all right, title, and interest in and to Your Contributions."

I am a minor child (i.e. under 18 years of age). Who should sign the CLA?

A CLA for a contributor under the age of 18 should be signed by both the contributor and the contributor's legal guardian.

What kind of contribution requires I submit a CLA? What kind of contribution can I make without submitting a CLA?

You must sign a CLA before Zend Framework can accept any content that constitutes intellectual property. This is anything that could carry a copyright or be based on a patent. This includes code, patches, tests, documentation, and even proposals submitted on our development wiki site. You do not need to submit a CLA to report a bug or make a feature request in our issue tracker, or to ask a question on the mailing lists. You can include code to illustrate your words, but your code cannot be incorporated into Zend Framework unless it is submitted under the terms of the CLA.