The Varnish Moral License

Software development may be open, and the result shared with an Open Source Software licence, but the actual hours of programming are not gratis.

Just like everybody else, I need money for mortgage, kids and food, money I make by doing things with computers, for people who are willing to pay for that.

One of the things I do for money, is develop Varnish, and the Varnish Moral License is the vehicle I invented for the paperwork.

The way it works is very simple:

  • Happy varnish users tell me that they want a Varnish Moral License

  • I send them an invoice from my company

  • They pay the invoice

  • I develop Varnish

Current status:

  • Cash in hand: -926 EUR

  • 4 invoices outstanding: 17300 EUR

  • Work already done this month 17 h = 2210 EUR

  • Hours currently funded: 108 h = 14164 EUR

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Accounting

Note (2022-11-01)

I have adjusted my hourly rate according to the Danish Consumer Price Index so it now is €130.

Note (2022-01-01)

After three years at €115 I have adjusted my hourly rate according to the Danish Consumer Price Index so it now is €120.

Note (2019-01-01)

After five years at €110 I have adjusted my hourly rate according to the Danish Consumer Price Index so it now is €115.

Note (2015-06-30)

There has been an instance of a company not following through on the VML after I sent the invoice.

I have no problem with that and harbour no bad feelings to the company and individual(s) involved. I know more than I need about office politics and bureacracy.

It has been the policy from the start not to reveal names of licensees until payment arrived, exactly for this kind of contingency, so the name of the licensee will of course remain secret.

But for maximum transparency I do list invoices sent, but not yet paid, so for half a year the invoice I have now cancelled has been listed here.

This is page is for accounting for the companies who have helped fund Varnish development, it is not meant to track inquiries, negotations or other preliminaries to a VML agreement. Consequently I have removed the unpaid invoice from the list, rather than add a matching credit entry.

In the future, I will not list invoices for new VML licensees until the first invoice has been paid.

phk