License
PACE Pattern and PACE.js licensing information.
MIT License
PACE Pattern and PACE.js are released under the MIT License, one of the most permissive open-source licenses.
What this means:
✅ Free to use — Commercial and non-commercial projects ✅ Free to modify — Change the code as needed ✅ Free to distribute — Share your modifications ✅ Free to sublicense — Include in proprietary software
Requirements:
- Include the license text in your distribution
- Include the copyright notice
- Provide attribution to the original authors
Full License Text
MIT License
Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Michael Shatny and contributors
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.What You Can Do
✅ Commercial Use
You can use PACE.js in commercial products:
- Build and sell PACE-powered apps
- Include PACE.js in SaaS products
- Offer PACE-based consulting services
- Create proprietary plugins or extensions
No fees or royalties required.
✅ Modification
You can modify PACE.js:
- Change the source code
- Add new features
- Fix bugs
- Optimize performance
You can keep modifications private or share them.
✅ Distribution
You can distribute PACE.js:
- Bundle with your applications
- Host on your own CDN
- Include in frameworks or libraries
- Package in desktop or mobile apps
Just include the license text.
✅ Private Use
You can use PACE.js privately:
- Internal company tools
- Personal projects
- Research and education
- Proof-of-concept demos
No attribution required in private use.
What You Must Do
Include License
When distributing PACE.js, you must:
1. Include the license text
Either:
- Include
LICENSEfile in your distribution - Display license in your app's "About" section
- Link to the license on GitHub
2. Include copyright notice
Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Michael Shatny and contributors3. Preserve existing notices
Don't remove copyright or license comments from the source code.
How to Attribute
In your package:
// package.json
{
"dependencies": {
"@semanticintent/pace-pattern": "^1.0.0"
},
"licenses": [
{
"type": "MIT",
"url": "https://github.com/semanticintent/pace-pattern/blob/main/LICENSE"
}
]
}In your documentation:
This project uses PACE.js, Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Michael Shatny,
licensed under the MIT License.In your app:
<!-- About page or footer -->
<p>
Powered by <a href="https://pace.cormorantforaging.dev">PACE Pattern</a>,
licensed under MIT License.
</p>What You Don't Have to Do
❌ Share Your Code
You are not required to:
- Open source your application
- Publish your modifications
- Share your source code
- Contribute changes back
You can keep your code proprietary if you wish.
❌ Use the Same License
You can license your application however you want:
- Proprietary/closed source
- GPL, Apache, or other licenses
- Custom licensing terms
PACE.js being MIT doesn't affect your license choice.
❌ Get Permission
You don't need to ask for permission to:
- Use PACE.js
- Modify PACE.js
- Distribute PACE.js
- Use in commercial projects
The license grants all permissions upfront.
Special Cases
Trademarks
The MIT License does not grant trademark rights.
You cannot:
- Use "PACE Pattern" or "PACE.js" as your product name
- Imply official endorsement or affiliation
- Use PACE logos without permission
You can:
- Say your app is "powered by PACE.js"
- State compatibility with PACE Pattern
- Reference PACE in factual descriptions
Patents
The MIT License includes an implicit patent grant, but:
PACE.js is provided "as is" without patent indemnification.
If you're concerned about patents:
- Consult your legal team
- Consider Apache 2.0 license projects
- Reach out for commercial licensing
Warranty Disclaimer
PACE.js is provided without warranty:
- No guarantee of functionality
- No guarantee of fitness for purpose
- No liability for damages
Use at your own risk. Always test thoroughly in your application.
Contributor Licensing
Your Contributions
When you contribute to PACE.js:
You grant the same MIT License for your contributions:
- Your code can be used commercially
- Your code can be modified
- Your code can be distributed
- No royalties or fees
You retain copyright to your contributions:
- You can use your code elsewhere
- You can license it differently in other projects
- You maintain ownership
Contributor Agreement
By submitting a pull request, you agree:
- You have the right to contribute the code
- You license it under MIT License
- You grant a perpetual, irrevocable license
No separate CLA required.
Third-Party Licenses
PACE.js has zero runtime dependencies, so there are no third-party licenses to worry about in production.
Development Dependencies
Dev dependencies (testing, building) have their own licenses:
- Vitest — MIT License
- Vite — MIT License
- ESLint — MIT License
See package.json for full list.
Documentation License
This documentation is also MIT Licensed:
- Use examples in your projects
- Copy and adapt for your docs
- Share with others
- No attribution required (but appreciated!)
Academic Use
For academic research and publications:
Citation is appreciated but not required.
Suggested citation:
@misc{pace_pattern_2024,
author = {Michael Shatny},
title = {Pattern for Agentic Conversational Experience (PACE)},
year = {2024},
publisher = {Zenodo},
version = {1.0.1},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.18049371},
url = {https://zenodo.org/records/18049371}
}See Research for more citation formats.
Commercial Support
Need different licensing terms?
We offer:
- Custom licensing agreements
- Commercial support contracts
- Priority bug fixes
- Private feature development
- Training and consulting
Contact: [email protected]
Questions
Have licensing questions?
- Legal questions — [email protected]
- General questions — GitHub Discussions
- Commercial licensing — [email protected]
Not legal advice. Consult a lawyer for legal guidance.
Other Projects
MillPond
License: MIT License Repository: github.com/semanticintent/millpond
This Documentation Site
License: MIT License Repository: github.com/semanticintent/pace-site
Summary
PACE.js is MIT Licensed:
✅ Free for commercial use ✅ Free to modify and distribute ✅ No fees or royalties ✅ Just include the license text
Questions? Ask us: [email protected]
Build freely. Share openly. Credit fairly. 📜