policy updates

README.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ The Digital Voice Modem ("DVM") Core Software Suite, provides the a set of appli
 
 Please feel free to reach out to us for help, comments or otherwise, on our Discord: https://discord.gg/3pBe8xgrEz
 
-**THIS SOFTWARE MUST NEVER BE USED IN PUBLIC SAFETY OR LIFE SAFETY CRITICAL APPLICATIONS! This software project is provided solely for personal, non-commercial, hobbyist use; any commercial, professional, governmental, or other non-hobbyist use is strictly discouraged, fully unsupported and expressly disclaimed by the authors.**
+**THIS SOFTWARE MUST NEVER BE USED IN PUBLIC SAFETY OR LIFE SAFETY CRITICAL APPLICATIONS! This software project is provided solely for personal, non-commercial, hobbyist use; any commercial, professional, governmental, or other non-hobbyist use is strictly discouraged, fully unsupported and expressly disclaimed by the authors. For full project policies and support limitations, see: [Usage & Support Guidelines](usage_guidelines.md).**
 
 This project suite generates a few executables:
 

usage_guidelines.md

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# DVMProject Usage & Support Guidelines
+
+This document outlines official DVMProject policies regarding project usage, support boundaries, and community participation expectations.
+
+DVMProject is licensed under [GPL-2.0](LICENSE). Nothing in this document restricts or overrides the rights granted by that license. You are free to use, modify, and distribute the software in accordance with the GPL.
+
+However, this document defines:
+
+- Use cases that the DVMProject team does not endorse
+- Scenarios for which official support will not be provided
+- Expectations for participation within official DVMProject communities and infrastructure
+
+These guidelines exist to ensure clarity, protect the project and its contributors, and set consistent expectations for users and integrators.
+
+Additional policies may be added to this document over time, with or without notice.
+
+---
+
+## DVMProject Public Safety & Life Safety Use Policy
+
+### Purpose
+
+This policy formally clarifies the DVMProject stance regarding the use of DVMProject software, firmware, hardware designs, and any affiliated services in public safety or life safety environments.
+
+This policy applies to all users, contributors, integrators, and community members.
+
+---
+
+### 1. Not for Public Safety or Life Safety Use
+
+DVMProject and any affiliated DVM projects, services, or infrastructure **are not designed, tested, certified, or supported for mission-critical use.**
+
+Under no circumstances may DVMProject components be used for:
+
+- Public safety communications
+- Fire, EMS, law enforcement, or emergency management operations
+- Life safety systems
+- Critical infrastructure communications
+- Any environment where failure could result in injury, loss of life, or significant property damage
+- Even in a “support,” “backup,” “interoperability,” or “auxiliary” capacity
+
+DVMProject does not endorse, approve, or support such use cases.
+
+#### Receive-Only / Hobby Monitoring Clarification
+
+This policy does not prohibit passive, receive-only hobbyist monitoring of publicly available radio traffic, including streaming or ingesting external audio into a hobby or research system.
+
+This does **not** permit operational use, dispatch integration, field communications, or any scenario where public safety personnel rely on DVMProject systems for situational awareness or response.
+
+DVMProject remains unsupported and non-endorsed for any public safety or life safety role.
+
+---
+
+### 2. No Warranty of Reliability or Fitness
+
+DVMProject is an open-source research and hobbyist project.
+
+It:
+- Has not undergone mission-critical validation
+- Has not been certified for regulatory or public safety compliance
+- Does not guarantee uptime, redundancy, failover, or fault tolerance
+- May change, break, or behave unpredictably at any time
+
+No representation is made regarding fitness for any specific operational purpose.
+
+---
+
+### 3. Community Enforcement
+
+Use of DVMProject in violation of this policy may result in:
+
+- Immediate removal from official DVMProject Discord servers
+- Revocation of community access
+- Refusal of support
+- Removal of related infrastructure from shared services (if applicable)
+
+Administrative action may occur without warning.
+
+---
+
+### 4. Open Source Clarification
+
+DVMProject is open-source software.
+
+While we cannot control what individuals do outside official channels, we:
+
+- Explicitly prohibit public safety or life safety use within official DVM communities
+- Will not provide support for such use
+- Will not assist in configuring or deploying DVMProject in those environments
+
+Responsibility for unauthorized use rests solely with the deploying party.
+
+---
+
+### 5. Acknowledgment
+
+By participating in DVMProject communities or utilizing DVMProject software, you acknowledge and agree to this policy.
+
+If your intended use case involves public safety, emergency response, or life safety communications, you must pursue solutions specifically engineered, validated, and certified for that purpose.
+
+---
+
+**This policy is effective immediately. And subject to change at anytime.**