ADR-0105: Copyright handling preserves Netflix and adds Lusoris/Claude¶
- Status: Accepted
- Supersedes: ADR-0025
- Date: 2026-04-18
- Deciders: Lusoris, Claude (Anthropic)
- Tags: license, docs
Context¶
The fork adds wholly-new files (SYCL backend, tiny-AI, MCP server, dev tooling) authored by Lusoris and Claude, while upstream Netflix files continue to be maintained by both parties. License notices must reflect actual authorship without erasing Netflix's ownership of the overall project. The user directed two clarifications: bump the year range on existing Netflix files (so they currently read 2016–2026, since Netflix continues to own them) and recognise that wholly-new fork subtrees — notably the SYCL implementation — are authored by Lusoris and Claude rather than Netflix.
This ADR re-states ADR-0025's decision in neutral English so the body no longer carries colloquial verbatim quotes. The decision itself is unchanged; only the prose register is.
Decision¶
Preserve Netflix copyright on Netflix-authored files; bump the year range 2016–2020 → 2016–2026 on those files; place Copyright 2026 Lusoris and Claude (Anthropic) on wholly-new fork files under the same BSD-3-Clause-Plus-Patent license; use a dual-copyright notice on mixed files (e.g. fork-modified Netflix sources).
Alternatives considered¶
| Option | Pros | Cons | Why not chosen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep Netflix-only headers everywhere | Zero divergence from upstream | Misattributes wholly-new fork code authored entirely by Lusoris/Claude | Rejected per user direction |
| Replace Netflix with Lusoris everywhere | Single template | Erases original ownership — factually wrong and legally indefensible | Unacceptable |
| Dual policy per file (chosen) | Notice matches actual authorship per file | Contributors must select the correct header template | Matches reality |
The narrow alternatives misrepresent authorship; the dual-policy choice was effectively a default once the misrepresentation was ruled out.
Consequences¶
- Positive: file headers match actual authorship; Netflix license preserved; the SYCL subtree carries accurate Lusoris/Claude attribution.
- Negative: three header templates to keep straight; new files require selecting the right one.
- Neutral / follow-ups: CLAUDE.md §12 rule 7 codifies the templates; ADR-0025 remains in the tree, marked
Superseded by ADR-0105.