About the licence

Like all other software products, the e-vote system is subject to a licence. This licence regulates what one can and cannot do with the source code and the documentation that is published. We consider our licence to be relatively short and easy to understand. Basically, it can be summarized as follows:

You can download the source code, view it and even try to set up and test the system in order to understand it better, but you cannot make changes to the code. If you are linked to an academic environment, you can make changes, but only for research purposes. Whatever your purpose, you are never allowed to sell program code based on the e-vote system to anyone. Nor are you allowed to use the system for any other reason than your own test purposes. Only the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (KRD) has the right to use this code for anything other than testing. KRD can use it when administering all elections in Norway.

If you have any proposals for changes, you must contact KRD about them. We have the right to ask anyone to make changes – as long as the intention is to use them for administering elections in Norway. The licence has been formulated so that it safeguards the interests of the suppliers beyond Norway’s borders. In addition, a number of the solutions in the system are protected by patent.

The licence in its entirety:

E-voting (Scytl):

Source Code, High Level Architecture Documentation and Common Criteria Documentation Copyright (C) 2010-2011 and ownership belongs to The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and Scytl Secure Electronic Voting SA ("Licensor").

The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has the right to use, modify (whether by itself or by the use of contractors) and copy the software for the sole purposes of performing Norwegian Public Sector Elections, including to install and run the code on the necessary number of locations centrally and in any number of counties and municipalities, and to allow access to the solution from anywhere in the world by persons who have the right to participate in Norwegian national or local elections. This also applies to elections to the Longyearbyen Community Council at Svalbard and any possible future public elections in Norway arranged by the Election Authorities.

Patents, relevant to the software, are licensed by Scytl Secure Electronic Voting SA to the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development for the purposes set out above.

Scytl Secure Electronic Voting SA (or whom it appoints) has the right, inside and outside of Norway to use, copy, modify and enhance the materials, as well as a right of licensing and transfer, internally and externally, either by itself or with the assistance of a third party, as part of the further development and customization of its own standard solutions or delivered together with its own standard solutions.
The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and Scytl Secure Electronic Voting SA hereby grant to you (any third party) the right to copy, modify, inspect, compile, debug and run the software for the sole purpose of testing, reviewing or evaluating the code or the system solely for non-commercial purposes. Any other use of the source code (or parts of it for any other purpose (including but not limited to any commercial purposes) by any third party is subject to Scytl Secure Electronic Voting SA's prior written approval.

Administrative support system and scanning (EDB ErgoGroup):

Source Code, High Level Architecture Documentation and Common Criteria Documentation Copyright (C) 2010-2011 and ownership belongs to The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and EDB ErgoGroup 67 AS  ("Licensor")

The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has the right to use, modify (whether by itself or by the use of contractors) and copy the software for the sole purposes of performing Norwegian Public Sector Elections, including to install and run the code on the necessary number of locations centrally and in any number of counties and municipalities, and to allow access to the solution from anywhere in the world by persons who have the right to participate in Norwegian national or local elections. This also applies to elections to the Longyearbyen Community Council at Svalbard and any possible future public elections in Norway arranged by the Election Authorities.

EDB Ergo Group 67 AS (or whom it appoints) has the right, inside and outside of Norway to use, copy, modify and enhance the materials, as well as a right of licensing and transfer, internally and externally, either by itself or with the assistance of a third party, as part of the further development and customization of its own standard solutions or delivered together with its own standard solutions.

The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and EDB ErgoGroup AS hereby grant to you (any third party) the right to copy, modify, inspect, compile, debug and run the software for the sole purpose of testing, reviewing or evaluating the code or the system solely for non-commercial purposes. Any other use of the source code (or parts of it) for any other purpose (including but not limited to any commercial purposes) by any third party is subject to EDB ErgoGroup 67 AS' prior written approval.

• See the list of patents