I'm a firm believer in the principles of open source hardware and software. They stop people wasting their time designing similar parts and encourage people to share what they have produced with the world. Of course, there are limitations. Not everyone can use the source (i.e., compile the software or manufacture the hardware). However, even if this is the case, the source is still available and that's what counts.

Another point worth making is that while it may be technically correct to just dump your design files and call your design 'open', it isn't truly open in that people don't know what they're looking at, or how it works. For something to be completely open, there has to be comprehensive documentation which covers operation and functionality.

Why am I rambling on about this? Well, this project has now been entered for the Hackaday Prize, one of the criteria for which is openness. OpenGen is open source hardware, but alongside that hardware there is full documentation that is continually evolving and improving. Furthermore, the software (when it is completed; some is already written) will be open source as well, built on the open source Arduino IDE and well documented throughout through the use of comments.

All aspects of OpenGen are Public Domain, meaning there are no limitations on how you can use them. Knock yourself out!