Threema CLA in Layman’s Terms

What is a CLA?

A Contributor License Agreement, abbreviated to CLA, is an agreement on rights of use for software code.

The CLA of Threema GmbH (https://threema.ch/) is based on the template provided by Project Harmony (HA-CLA-E-ANY Version 1.0; https://www.harmonyagreements.org/).

For the full legal text of the CLA, see Contributor License Agreement.

Who are the Parties of the CLA?

The CLA is concluded between you as the Contributor who writes software code as a Contribution to a software project and Threema GmbH who manages the corresponding software project.

What is the purpose of the CLA with Threema GmbH?

Threema GmbH has published the software code of its apps or software projects on GitHub (https://github.com/threema-ch), including:

• Threema for Android (https://github.com/threema-ch/threema-android);
• Threema for iOS (https://github.com/threema-ch/threema-ios);
• Threema for desktop (Windows, macOS, and Linux; https://github.com/threema-ch/threema-desktop).

Contributors are invited by Threema GmbH to submit software code as Contributions to the aforementioned apps in order to participate in the (further) development of these software projects. The CLA enables Threema GmbH to use Contributions from people like you in its software projects in a legally secure manner.

What rights to your Contribution are granted to Threema GmbH, and which rights do you retain?

As a Contributor, you grant Threema GmbH a comprehensive license under the CLA to use your Contribution in the context of the respective software project. The license for the use of your Contribution by Threema GmbH is perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable, royalty-free, and irrevocable.

Your own rights to use your Contribution remain in force and are not assigned to Threema GmbH.

Are you waiving anything?

For practical reasons, Contributors waive their moral rights, in particular the right to be named as the author of a particular Contribution.

Is there a claim to integration of your Contribution in a software project?

Threema GmbH is free to decide which Contributions are definitely integrated in a software project. There is no claim to integration of your Contribution.

As a Contributor, are you liable to Threema GmbH?

For reasons of legal certainty, Threema GmbH requires two warranties from you as a Contributor, namely that (1.) you are authorized to enter into the CLA and that (2.) you are the sole rights holder of your Contribution in order to legally license its use to Threema GmbH.

With the exception of damages arising from your breach of these two warranties, your liability to Threema GmbH is waived or limited to the extent permitted by law.