GroveEngine/LICENSE-COMMERCIAL

GROVEENGINE COMMERCIAL LICENSE
Version 1.0 - January 2025

Copyright (C) 2025 StillHammer
Contact: alexistrouve.pro@gmail.com

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1. PREAMBLE
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GroveEngine is a modular C++ engine architecture designed for rapid game
development with hot-reload capabilities. This Commercial License allows you
to use GroveEngine in proprietary, closed-source commercial projects under a
fair royalty model.

This license is intended for:
- Independent game developers
- Game studios creating commercial products
- Anyone who wants to keep their game code proprietary

If you prefer to develop open-source games, consider using the GPL v3 license
instead (see LICENSE-GPL).

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2. GRANT OF LICENSE
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Subject to the terms and conditions of this license, StillHammer grants you a
worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

- Use GroveEngine in unlimited commercial projects
- Modify the engine source code for your own use
- Distribute games built with GroveEngine
- Keep your game code and modifications proprietary
- Use GroveEngine in both released and unreleased projects

This license does NOT grant you the right to:
- Redistribute GroveEngine itself (source or binary)
- Sublicense GroveEngine to third parties
- Transfer this license to another entity
- Remove or modify license headers in GroveEngine source files

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3. ROYALTY TERMS
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3.1 FREE TIER (€0 - €100,000 gross revenue per project)

GroveEngine is FREE for projects earning up to €100,000 in gross revenue.
- No upfront payment required
- No royalties owed
- Full commercial use permitted
- All engine features included

3.2 ROYALTY TIER (Above €100,000 gross revenue per project)

For projects exceeding €100,000 in gross revenue:
- 1% royalty on gross revenue above €100,000
- Calculated per-project, not per-entity
- Annual reporting and payment

3.3 GROSS REVENUE DEFINITION

"Gross Revenue" means all revenue directly attributable to a project built
with GroveEngine, including but not limited to:
- Game sales (digital and physical)
- In-app purchases and microtransactions
- Subscriptions
- DLC and expansions
- Advertising revenue
- Licensing fees

Gross revenue does NOT include:
- Platform fees (Steam, Epic, App Store, etc.)
- Payment processing fees
- Refunds issued to customers
- Taxes (VAT, sales tax, etc.)

3.4 CALCULATION EXAMPLES

Example 1: Indie game earning €80,000
→ Royalty: €0 (within free tier)

Example 2: Successful game earning €250,000
→ Free tier: €100,000 = €0
→ Royalty tier: €150,000 × 1% = €1,500
→ Total royalty owed: €1,500

Example 3: Hit game earning €1,000,000
→ Free tier: €100,000 = €0
→ Royalty tier: €900,000 × 1% = €9,000
→ Total royalty owed: €9,000

Note: Unreal Engine equivalent (5% above $1M USD) would be ~€47,500 on €1M

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4. REPORTING & PAYMENT
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4.1 ANNUAL REPORTING

For projects exceeding €100,000 in gross revenue, you must submit an annual
revenue report by January 31st of the following year.

Report must include:
- Project name
- Calendar year covered
- Total gross revenue for the year
- Platform breakdown (optional but helpful)
- Calculated royalty amount

Send reports to: alexistrouve.pro@gmail.com
Subject: "GroveEngine Royalty Report [Year] - [Project Name]"

4.2 PAYMENT TERMS

- Payment due within 30 days of report submission
- Accepted methods: Bank transfer (SEPA/SWIFT), PayPal
- Payment instructions will be provided upon report receipt
- Currency: Euro (EUR) - convert if reporting in other currencies

4.3 LATE PAYMENT

Late payments incur a penalty of 5% per month of the outstanding amount.
If payment is more than 90 days overdue, this license may be terminated.

4.4 GOOD FAITH

We operate on good faith and trust. You are responsible for accurate reporting.
See Section 8 (Audit Rights) for verification procedures.

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5. SUPPORT
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This Commercial License includes basic support:

- Email support: alexistrouve.pro@gmail.com
- Response time: 72 hours (business days)
- Bug fixes: Priority access to engine bug fixes
- Updates: All engine updates included at no additional cost
- Documentation: Access to all engine documentation

Support does NOT include:
- Game-specific consulting or development
- Custom engine features (available separately)
- Guaranteed response time SLA
- Phone or video support

For custom development or consulting, contact us separately.

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6. ATTRIBUTION
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All commercial projects using GroveEngine must include the following attribution:

"Powered by GroveEngine"

Attribution must appear in:
- Game credits screen (if present)
- Game documentation or README
- Or other reasonable location visible to end users

Optional: You may use the GroveEngine logo (provided separately) in your credits.

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7. RESTRICTIONS
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You MAY NOT:

- Redistribute GroveEngine source code or binaries
- Create a competing engine based on GroveEngine
- Sublicense GroveEngine to third parties
- Remove copyright notices from GroveEngine source files
- Use GroveEngine trademarks without permission
- Reverse engineer compiled GroveEngine binaries (source is provided)

You MAY:

- Modify GroveEngine for your own projects
- Create and sell unlimited games with GroveEngine
- Share compiled games with end users
- Use GroveEngine in both commercial and non-commercial projects

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8. AUDIT RIGHTS
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StillHammer reserves the right to audit your revenue reporting to ensure
compliance with this license.

8.1 AUDIT PROCEDURE

- 30 days written notice before audit
- Audit conducted by qualified third-party accountant
- Access to relevant financial records (only GroveEngine projects)
- Results kept confidential

8.2 AUDIT COSTS

- Normally borne by StillHammer
- If underreporting > 5%, licensee pays audit costs
- Owed royalties + penalties must be paid immediately

8.3 FREQUENCY

Audits will not occur more than once per calendar year except in cases of
suspected fraud.

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9. TERMINATION
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9.1 TERMINATION FOR BREACH

This license terminates immediately if you:
- Fail to pay royalties within 90 days of due date
- Redistribute GroveEngine in violation of Section 7
- Violate any material term of this license

9.2 EFFECT OF TERMINATION

Upon termination:
- You must cease distribution of new copies of your games
- Existing distributed copies may continue to operate (end-user protection)
- You must pay all outstanding royalties
- You may not start new GroveEngine projects

9.3 CURE PERIOD

For payment-related breaches, you have 30 days to cure after written notice.
For other breaches, cure period is 14 days.

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10. WARRANTY DISCLAIMER
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GROVEENGINE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, STILLHAMMER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

- Warranties of merchantability
- Fitness for a particular purpose
- Non-infringement
- Quiet enjoyment
- Quality or performance

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH USING GROVEENGINE.

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11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
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IN NO EVENT SHALL STILLHAMMER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING:

- Loss of profits or revenue
- Loss of data
- Business interruption
- Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages

EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE LESSER OF:
- €1,000
- Royalties paid by you in the previous 12 months

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability, so this may not
apply to you.

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12. GENERAL PROVISIONS
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12.1 GOVERNING LAW

This license is governed by the laws of France, without regard to conflict
of law provisions.

12.2 ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This license constitutes the entire agreement between you and StillHammer
regarding GroveEngine commercial use.

12.3 AMENDMENTS

StillHammer may update this license. Updates apply to new projects but do not
retroactively affect existing licensed projects (grandfather clause).

12.4 SEVERABILITY

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in
full effect.

12.5 NO WAIVER

Failure to enforce any provision does not waive the right to enforce it later.

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13. CONTACT & ACTIVATION
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To obtain this Commercial License:

1. Email: alexistrouve.pro@gmail.com
   Subject: "GroveEngine Commercial License Request"

2. Provide:
   - Your name or company name
   - Project description (optional)
   - Expected launch date (optional)

3. You will receive:
   - License confirmation email
   - Payment instructions (royalties only due after €100k revenue)
   - Support contact details

Questions about this license? Contact alexistrouve.pro@gmail.com

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COMPARISON: GroveEngine vs. Other Engines
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| Engine        | Free Tier      | Royalty Rate | Notes                    |
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------------------|
| GroveEngine   | €0 - €100k     | 1% > €100k   | Best for EU indie devs   |
| Unreal Engine | $0 - $1M USD   | 5% > $1M USD | Higher %, higher tier    |
| Unity         | Subscription   | No royalties | Monthly fees required    |
| Godot         | 100% Free      | No royalties | MIT, but less support    |

GroveEngine offers the most favorable terms for independent developers earning
between €100k - €500k, with lower royalties than major engines.

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Thank you for choosing GroveEngine!

Build amazing games. We'll handle the engine.

StillHammer © 2025