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URPL

★ 33 updated 28d ago

UNO Reverse Public License v. 4.20

The UNO Reverse Public License, a joke software license styled after the GPL where any attempt to restrict it gets reversed back at the enforcer, like playing a reverse card in the card game UNO.

setup: easycomplexity 1/5

This repository contains the UNO Reverse Public License, version 4.20, a joke software license styled after real open-source licenses like the GPL. It is not a serious legal document. The premise is simple: any attempt by another license to restrict the freedoms this license grants gets reversed back at the party trying to enforce it, like playing a reverse card in the card game UNO.

The license is written with the full structure of a real license, complete with numbered clauses covering definitions, permissions, patent grants, termination, and disclaimers. The language mimics GPL and Apache-style legal text closely enough to read as plausible at a glance, but the clauses themselves are deliberately absurd. Section 10 states that any software that interacts with, references, benchmarks, or memes about URPL-licensed code automatically becomes relicensed under this same license. Section 11 says disputes are to be resolved through a best-of-three UNO match, with a reverse card serving as binding appellate authority.

The disclaimer of warranty explicitly lists things the license does not cover, including GitHub arguments, Reddit threads, and legal fees incurred while explaining this license to a lawyer. A separate section notes that claims of incompatibility with other licenses are themselves deemed compatible with this one.

This is a creative writing and humor project, not a real licensing framework. The README itself acknowledges near the end that developers wanting a conventional license should use MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, or another established option depending on their needs. There is no code in the repository, only the license text itself. If you need an actual open-source license for a project, this document is not it.

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