Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income

License Selection

For EduTile, I have chosen to license the project under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

This license allows others to remix, adapt, and build upon the EduTile project non-commercially, as long as they credit the original creator (me), and license their new creations under the same terms.

Full license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Learn more about Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/

Hardware Licensing Research

While EduTile will be shared under Creative Commons, I also explored options for open-source hardware licensing. One that stood out is the CERN Open Hardware Licence (CERN OHL). This license is specifically designed for sharing hardware designs such as PCBs and mechanical parts, and ensures that derived works remain open.

CERN OHL has several versions (S for Strongly Reciprocal, W for Weakly Reciprocal, P for Permissive), making it flexible depending on the level of openness required.

More information: https://ohwr.org/project/cernohl/wikis/home

I may consider using CERN OHL in future versions of EduTile's hardware files to align more closely with open-source hardware principles.

Distribution Plan

EduTile will be made available through:

  • A GitHub repository containing source files, schematics, code, and documentation
  • Fab Cloud documentation and tutorials
  • Workshops with educators to introduce and test the system

The project is intended to be educational and freely shareable for non-commercial use. However, if future demand for customized or mass-produced kits arises, limited monetization (e.g., via kits or facilitation training) could be explored ethically, with attribution to its open origins.

Ethical and Educational Impact

EduTile is made to support open access to creative learning tools. The decision to use an open license encourages educators and makers to adapt it to their own teaching contexts. It also promotes STEM learning through play and hands-on engagement, especially in under-resourced communities.

Any future income would be reinvested into improving the design, supporting facilitators, and expanding access—not purely for profit.

Summary

  • License chosen: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
  • Hardware license researched: CERN OHL
  • Usage allowed: Remixing, sharing, adapting, non-commercial use with attribution and same license
  • Distribution method: GitHub, workshops, Fab Cloud documentation
  • Future vision: Collaborative tool for educators with potential for ethical, small-scale distribution