It is used to distribute a number of important open source software projects, including the linux kernel. As we all know, the gnu general public license gpl is a copyleft source license. May 14, 2017 us district court rules gnu gpl is an enforceable contract. Nov 27, 2017 their announcement relates to two widely used open source software licenses. It is a specific implementation of his copyleft concept. To avoid inadvertently infecting your proprietary software with the viral effect of the gpl license, your product should dynamically link to the open source components when it is running so that your proprietary code and the open source code are not considered as a single work subject to the gpl license, which would be the. This post takes a look at the legal issues raised by both cases and what they mean for foss producers and users. The purpose of this license is to ensure that a work can be freely distributed and modified by anybody, and that no proprietary works can be derived. This software might be open source and use the open source development model, but it wont be free software since it wont respect the freedom of the users that actually run it. This is a guide to effective compliance with the gnu general public license gpl and related licenses.
We, the free software foundation, use the gnu general public license for most of our software. Their announcement relates to two widely used open source software licenses. The difference between eulas and open source licenses osnews. Aug 26, 2008 this is a guide to effective compliance with the gnu general public license gpl and related licenses. Frequently answered questions open source initiative. The offer must be open to everyone who has a copy of the binary that it.
Version 2 of the gnu general public license gpl is probably the most commonly used open source software license. Because the general public license gpl is not universally interpreted the same way by everyone, we cant give anyone a legal opinion about how our language relates to the gpl or other oss licenses, but based on feedback from the open source community we believe that a broad audience of developers can implement the specifications. Approximately 70% of the projects in the software repository sourceforge use the gpl v2. What has become clear is that the traditional software scarcity model doesnt work with open source code. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. It depends on what you mean by businessunfriendly and restrictive though. This article explains opensource software licenses, opensource vs free, and also provides. The gpl is considered the standard open source software licence, and many nonsoftware works are published under the gpl as well. It is a software license used successfully by over 70% of open source projects. The licenses were originally written by richard stallman, former head of the free software foundation fsf, for the gnu project, and grant the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free software. Gpl is provided through the free software foundation, a nonprofit corporation that works to provide free software for the gnu project. The history of open source is long and full of legal questions.
May 23, 2001 you cant catch the gpl simply by touching software. We designed gnu gpl version 3 to prohibit this practice. Why open source misses the point of free software gnu. Gpl violations related to combining zfs and linux on by bradley m. There is at least one copyleft license, the affero gpl, that even requires you to offer.
The most widespread use of gpl is in reference to the gnu gpl, which is commonly abbreviated simply as gpl when it is understood that the term refers. This document attempts to draw together the main features of the gnu general public license v2 into a friendly and comprehensible digest and, in addition, to. Android and users freedom gnu project free software. A copy of that license is included in this document on page x. The security of open source software is a key concern for organisations planning to implement it as part of their software stack, particularly if it will play a major role. This implies that the nonaffero gpl allows to use gpled code on webserver also for. Us district court rules gnu gpl is an enforceable contract. Explaining and understanding the gnu general public license. The most prominent and popular example is the gnu general public license gpl. When versata software sued ameriprise financial services for breaching its software license, it unwittingly unearthed a gpl violation of its own and touched off another lawsuit that could prove to be a leading case on free and open source software licensing. How to avoid public gpl floggings on apples app store zdnet. The gpl, the bsd licence, and being a sucker introduction.
May 26, 2017 broadly, gpl relates to issues about products, lgpl entails issues concerning libraries, and agpl concerns matters regarding network services. The first version of the general public license, which is one of the. Gpl is the acronym for gnus general public license, and its one of the most popular open source licenses. In fact, as the following case clarifies, the term use in commerce is used as a reference to congresss authority to regulate trademarks under the u. The gpl the gnu general public license the most popular copyleft licence, sometimes gets a hostile press, often for reasons that dont reflect its real and positive effects. Unfortunately even with the best of intents, particularly as it relates to releasing open source software, it is possible to run far afield of gpl and foss kashruth even if you think you are. The gnu general public license gpl and the gnu lesser general public license lgpl. The criteria for open source are concerned solely with the licensing of the source code. Gnu general public license, version 2 spdx short identifier. Who decides what distribution means in opensource licenses. We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free program will individually obtain patent licenses, in.
You cant catch the gpl simply by touching software. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a programto make sure it remains free software for all its users. The software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl. Mar 05, 2001 the gpl allows you to modify, copy, and distribute software licensed under it, provided you also license the derived work under the gpl, and make available the source code. In accordance with the software freedom law centers sflcs philosophy of assisting the community with gpl compliance cooperatively, this guide focuses on avoiding compliance actions and minimizing the negative impact when enforcement. Does the gpl require that source code of modified versions be posted to the public. Using gpl 3rd party code for internal closed source project. An important distinction of both free and open source software is that works based on free or open source source code must also be distributed with a. Have you ever used gpl library for writing nongpl software. This essay argues that developers of freelibre open source software floss, aka ossfs should use an existing widelyused license compatible with the general public license gpl, particularly the gpl, lgpl, mitx, or bsdnew licenses. Jun 15, 2012 the gpl the gnu general public license the most popular copyleft licence, sometimes gets a hostile press, often for reasons that dont reflect its real and positive effects. While the gpl or closely related licenses continue to govern important gnu utilities and the linux kernel, the developers of most major open. Cpl, like the gnu lesser general public license, allows noncpllicensed software to link to a library under cpl without requiring the linked source code to be made.
This product contains software gpllicensed software that is provided to you under the gnu general public license gpl andor gnu librarylesser general public license lgpl. Sep 27, 2005 the gpl, the bsd licence, and being a sucker introduction. Along with closely related licenses, like the lesser general public license lgpl and affero general public license agpl, the gpl became the legal tool that helped major free and open source software projects to thrive in the 1980s and 1990s. Gnu general public license this license, commonly known as the gpl, has two versions that are actively and widely used in many open source communities. If you have licensed software youve written under gpl version 2, and you are the original licensor of that software, you may. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu project. The majority of all open source projects are licensed under gpl version 2.
You can distribute your application using a gpl library commercially, but you must also provide the source code. I wrote this essay as a way to clarify my position on the choice of a licence for ones opensource project and how it relates to being a sucker. Gnu general public license, version 3 spdx short identifier. Developers who wish to address this might want to use the gnu affero gpl for programs designed for network server use. In the freelibre software movement, we develop software that respects users freedom, so we and you can escape from software that doesnt. Ohhhh, now i get itthis is an attempt to make modify in the agpl mean something different from modify in the gpl itself, such that you can do things that would be considered modifying in the gpl and hence trigger copyleft and claim they dont constitute modifying for purposes of the extra proviso in the agpl and hence wont trigger copyleft, so you can incorporate agpl code into. Every project i have ever worked on has been released under the gpl. Is it legal to use gpl code in a proprietary, closed. Open source licensing is different for good reasons that support the. This is a comparison of free and opensource software licenses. Richard stallman created the gpl to protect the gnu software from being made proprietary. The timing for some of the recent posts regarding open source software, the gpl and how it all relates to wordpress, couldnt be more perfect.
If you should know, there are several other open source licenses too, some of which claim to offer even more freedom than the gpl such as mozilla public license, bsd licence, apache 2. These licences generally fall into one of two categories, permissive licences which allow the software to be reused in any project as long as obligations of the licences are met or copyleft licences which require derivative works of the software to be licensed on the same terms. Why should i use the gnu gpl rather than other free software licenses. Broadly, gpl relates to issues about products, lgpl entails issues concerning libraries, and agpl concerns matters regarding network services. It is a software license used successfully by over. The past, present and future of the gpl in open source software. Constitutions commerce clause rather than an intent to limit trademarks to profitmaking activity. For a work to be open source, it must be entirely under a license or licenses which comply with the open source definition. From the point of view of someone who want to modify open source software and dont give back his code, the bsd is less restrictive than the gpl. Nov 02, 2016 the gnu general public license exists to protect the liberties of software creators and users alike. Jan 08, 2011 unfortunately even with the best of intents, particularly as it relates to releasing open source software, it is possible to run far afield of gpl and foss kashruth even if you think you are. A copy of the gpl andor lgpl as applicable is included in this file.
A main principle of opensource software development is peer production, with products such as source code, blueprints, and documentation freely available to the public. The purpose of this license is to ensure that a work can be freely distributed and modified by anybody, and that no proprietary works can be derived from the original work. The gpl is the free software foundations general public licence. Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software patents. While the much more high profile versionpress was deciding whether they should adopt the gpl, we were doing the same. Gnu general public license version 3 open source initiative. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law center. Top 10 gnu gpl license questions answered whitesource. The fsf recommends at least compatible with gpl and preferably copyleft. The past, present and future of the gpl in open source. Strength refers to the degree to which surrounding software may need to be subject to the same copyleft requirements. Sep 26, 2017 open source software is a subset of the general category of software, and can be written without capitalizing the word software where appropriate.
Lawsuit threatens to break new ground on the gpl and software. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software. Aug 15, 2015 version 2 of the gnu general public license gpl is probably the most commonly used open source software license. Gplv3 improved compatibility with several open source software licenses such as apache license, version 2. The opensource model is a decentralized software development model that encourages open collaboration. Gpl is one of numerous open source software oss licences available today. If you have licensed software youve written under gpl version 2, and you are the original licensor of that software, you may wish to relicense your software under gpl version 3. Can open source software be used for commercial purposes. Opensource software oss is a type of computer software in which source code is released. The difference between eulas and open source licenses. Nov 10, 2005 the gnu general public license v2 gpl v2 for short is the most commonly used open source licence. Open source software is a subset of the general category of software, and can be written without capitalizing the word software where appropriate.
The gnu general public license gpl is a free, copyleft license used primarily for software. Following their story provided a lot of insight and eventually lead to us adopting the gpl for our products as well. In this lesson you will learn the meaning of the term open source when referring to software, what the gpl software license provides, why wordpress is an open source project and how this is important for both the users of wordpress and the contributors to wordpress. Both the free software foundation and the open source initiative maintain that it should always be possible to use software privately. The gnu gpl allows users to change and share all versions of a program. You may copy, distribute and modify the software as long as you track changesdates of in source files and keep modifications under gpl. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or simply gpl is a widely used open source software license, originally written by richard stallman for the gnu project. Why open source misses the point of free software gnu project.
I wrote this essay as a way to clarify my position on the choice of a licence for ones opensource project and how it relates. From the point of view of someone who want to modify and distribute improved derivative software, the gpl is less restrictive than the bsd. For private software, any license that allows you to use the code works, because youre not distributing it. The licenses were originally written by richard stallman, former head of the free software foundation fsf, for the gnu project, and grant the recipients of a. Comparison of free and opensource software licenses wikipedia. The gpl allows you to modify, copy, and distribute software licensed under it, provided you also license the derived work under the gpl, and make available the source code.
Jun 25, 2014 the timing for some of the recent posts regarding open source software, the gpl and how it all relates to wordpress, couldnt be more perfect. Gpl family of licenses that apply to the software being integrated. Lawsuit threatens to break new ground on the gpl and. The gpl is considered the standard open source software licence, and many non software works are published under the gpl as well. Youre talking about what richard stallman the person behind the gnu movement calls private software. In this lesson you will learn the meaning of the term open source when referring to software, what the gpl software license provides, why wordpress is an opensource project and how this is important for both the users of wordpress and the contributors to wordpress. This license, commonly known as the gpl, has two versions that are actively and widely used in many open source communities. The difference between free and opensource software. What are the most restrictive, businessunfriendly open. A similarity relates to distribution of a modified computer program. The gpl license grants the users irrevocable rights to use, modify and redistribute software even commercially under the condition that software or its derivatives retain the gpl license and that the source code is included or. The long and short of itif you use open source software within your software development project, any permissive license should be fine. It might be tempting to include a url that refers to the license, instead of the license itself. Other issues of the bsd open source software relate to protecting the authors who.
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