It is used to distribute a number of important open source software projects, including the linux kernel. This can be further shortened to gpl, when it is understood that the gnu gpl is the one intended. This license, commonly known as the gpl, has two versions that are actively and widely used in many open source communities. Top 10 gnu gpl license questions answered whitesource. It is always distributed under the terms of the gnu gpl, and every copy is free software. You should have received a copy of the gnu general public license along with this program. With the mit license, there is no obligation beyond not inhibiting in any way other people using and distributing their copies. The most frequently encountered examples are the free software foundations general public license gpl and lesser general public license lgpl. You can distribute your application using a gpl library commercially, but you must also provide the source code. Smith, brett march 29, 2007, gplv3 and software as a service also includes info on version 2 of the affero gpl. Gnu gpl and source control source code control lava. Mozilla firefox is a customizable internet browser and a free open source software.
A key point of this whole text is about the definition of freedom. My comments here are not about the validity or the great value of the gplit is an unquestionably. And the licensee may modify the software or use it in his own projects. Examples of software commonly used under the gpl are the linux kernel and the rest of the gnu linux operating system, including the gcc compiler, git, filezilla and wordpress, just to name a few. Gpl requires that the software be distributed in sourcecode form, and stipulates that any user can. The gnu general public license permits making a modified version and letting the public access it on a server without ever releasing its source code to the public. All source code can be freely used, modified and redistributed by anyone under the gpl general public license and other free licenses. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law center. The holders of the gpl software can choose to enforce the gpl on the distributed or derivative works of the software. 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. Stallman devised an alternative to the commercial software license and called it the gpl, or gnu public license. No commercial software, no code that you keep for yourself, no way to use it in a. Why you should use a bsd style license for your open.
Apr 10, 2020 gnu linux is one of the most important examples of free software, the terms used to refer to the unix free operating system, often using the gnu system tools. This tutorial is the culmination of nearly a decade of studying and writing. Gnu gpl, lgpl, apache licence types and differences. Typically, anybody is able to view and rewrite the coding of open source software and anybody is able to redistribute the software even for money, providing that it is released under the same license. As the holder, it can enforce the copyleft requirements of the gnu general public license gpl. Approximately 70% of the projects in the software repository sourceforge use the gpl v2. For example, type the following command to find a copy of that file in your linux system for various items. Using gpllicensed components in proprietary projects. What is the obligation of using an mit and gpl licensed. 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. Understanding the gpl is a contract court case bruce perens.
You can support our efforts by making a donation to the fsf. The gnu affero general public license is designed specifically to ensure that, in such cases, the modified source. Plaintiff alleges that defendant used ghostscript, did not obtain a commercial license, and represented publicly that its use of ghostscript was licensed under the gnl gpu. Free software foundation releases gnu affero general public license version 3 press release.
The game source code is licensed under the gpl and the media is licensed under the cc bysa license. I have read the gpl faq and i think that this one may apply. Can gnu licensed software be used for commercial gain. Understanding opensource and free software licensing medium. Wordpress gpl commercial themes and plugins dummies. The gnu gpl is the most widely used free software license and has a strong copyleft requirement. Our company needs to buy and use a proprietary software to get a competitive edge. Official website for gnu affero general public license gnu agpl. This does not mean tjhat you cannot sell the product, but it does mean that you must provide your licensees, on request, with its source code.
The following licenses are sorted by the number of conditions, from most gnu agplv3 to none unlicense. Categories of free and nonfree software gnu project. Panasonic allegedly refused to distribute the source code for its operating system, and by doing this, blocked its competitors including cokinetic from having the. See the gnu general public license for more details. The question is specific to using these tools to develop commercial software the source or the binaries of the gpl licensed tool does not become part of the commercial software in anyway i do not want to modify the gpl licensed tool. Instead, im doing open source software because i want people to use it. When one hears about free software, the first thing that comes to mind might be no cost. These are examples of the license accompanying code, and you can find other examples at the gpl has nothing to do with whether you charge for the software or distribute it for free. Gnu general public license, version 3 spdx short identifier. Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail. Gpl the gnu general public license the gpl is a copyleft software licence 1 published by the usbased free software foundation. The firefox browser uses a similar copyleft license. The gpl has nothing to do with whether you charge for the software or distribute it for free. Commercial software is any software or program that is designed and developed for licensing or sale to end users or that serves a commercial purpose.
However, businesses using gnu software in commercial activity, and people doing public ftp. Microsoft has attacked open source, particularly the gnu general public license gpl the most widelyused of such software licenses. This has implications for proprietary andor commercial software. Most commercial software is proprietary, but there is commercial free software, and there is noncommercial nonfree software. Can i use a gpl v2 software in commercial software. The gnu general public license, often shortened to gnu gpl or simply gpl, lists terms and conditions for copying, modifying and distributing free software.
The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software. What is gnu general public license gnu gpl or simply gpl. Because wordpress is licensed by the general public license gpl and is an open source software oss project, any themes or plugins also follow the gpl licensing structure. If software is licenced under a gpl license, can it be used without restriction in a corporate commercial environment. Richard stallman created the gpl to protect the gnu software from being made proprietary. You may copy, distribute and modify the software as long as you track changesdates of in source files and keep modifications under gpl. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu. With the gpl, if you are only using the software, there is also no obligation. However, vipm doesnt show on the main page what type of license the tool enforces and doesnt let you filtersort according to the license type.
The most widespread such license is the gnu general public license, or gnu gpl for short. Examples of software commonly used under the gpl are the linux kernel and the rest of the gnulinux operating system, including the gcc compiler, git, filezilla and wordpress, just to name a few. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software. Gnu general public license wikipedia, a enciclopedia livre. Open source software free software ossfs references. If he conveys software that contains modified or unmodified components that are licensed in under the gpl, his own product is also subject to the gpl.
The linux kernel is a prominent example of free and open source software. After you find the file, you can change to that directory and type more copying to read the gpl. These are examples of the license accompanying code, and you can find other examples at gnu. He also started a nonprofit foundation, the free software foundation fsf, which intended to develop an entire operating system, including all associated software, that would not be subject to proprietary licensing. If you use gpl code, your code becomes covered by the gpl and you cannot provide a license for it that removes the stritures of the gnu license. While this is often true, the term free software as used by the free software foundation originators of the gnu project and creators of the gnu general public license is intended to mean free as in freedom rather than in the sense of no cost which is usually referred to as. Qgis is an official project of the open source geospatial foundation osgeo. If you want an example of including gpld software as part of a commercial offering, look at os x. Short for general public license, the license that accompanies some open source software that details how the software and its accompany source code can be freely copied, distributed and modified. Open source licenses grant permission for anybody to use, modify, and share licensed software for any purpose, subject to conditions preserving the provenance and openness of the software. It is therefore often thought that gpllicensed software is unsuitable for proprietary projects. Nov 10, 2005 the gnu general public license v2 gpl v2 for short is the most commonly used open source licence. Developers who wish to address this might want to use the gnu affero gpl for programs designed for network server use.
The software that i am refering to is qgis which provides this description. I detailed analysis of the gnu gpl and related licenses. If the software is calling dynamically linked, gpl licensed libraries, will i need to make the entire project gpl. Can i use gpl software in a commercial application software. 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.
Software licensed under the gnu general public license is free software, and all software that builds on gpllicensed components is also free and must also be licensed under the gpl. Computer desktop encyclopedia this definition is for personal use only all other reproduction is strictly. Does the gpl say they must release their modified sources. If that commercial application is what youre selling, then youre giving a copy of that software in exchange for money. If you want an example of including gpl d software as part of a commercial offering, look at os x. Its built with and comes with an awful lot of gpl d software. 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. The gnu affero general public license is a free, copyleft license published by the free software foundation in november 2007, and based on the gnu general public license, version 3 and the affero general public license the free software foundation has recommended that the gnu agplv3 be considered for any software that will commonly be run over a network.
Understanding opensource and free software licensing. The gpl was created by richard stallman in order to protect gnu software from being made proprietary. Software under the gpl may be run for all purposes, including commercial purposes and even as a tool for creating. May 28, 2017 the gnu gpl, which is attached to the complaint, provides that the ghostscript user agrees to its terms if the user does not obtain a commercial license. When distributing derived works, the source code of the work must be made available under the same license. For example, the fsf holds the s on many pieces of the gnu system, such as the gnu compiler collection. This prompted a letter by bruce perens and many other ossfs leaders titled free software leaders stand together. Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the open source definition in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. This page is maintained by the free software foundations licensing and compliance lab. May 27, 2016 gpl the gnu general public license the gpl is a copyleft software licence 1 published by the usbased free software foundation. Open source software is software released under an open source license such as the gpl gnu general public license.
Apr 02, 2016 gpl lgpl gpl gpl, lgpl both are created by the gnu project the gpl and lgpl prohibit covered software and all derivative work from having its source code hidden from the public assumption. It was once rare that this freedom was restricted by even proprietary software. There are multiple variants of the gnu gpl, each with different requirements. Can gpl licenced software be used in corporate environments. Sep 05, 2017 git and the gcc compiler are examples of gpl ed tools that you can use at work without making your code gpl. An overview of the gpl opensource licence and important issues for developers. Freeware examples are skype and adobe acrobat, in its term, is mostly aiming commercial goals and potential monetization often used as a.
If i use gpl software in my application, but dont modify or distribute it, do i have to release my application under the gpl. Why you should use a bsd style license for your open source. Understanding the gpl is a contract court case bruce. Can gnu licensed software be used for commercial gain without. A primer on open source software for business people and lawyers. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. Gnu gpl general public license is the most known among open source licenses. Gnu general public license software as part of commercial. 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. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu project. Top 10 best open source softwares that rocks world wide. Jun 01, 2017 the gnu gpl requires that when you use gpl licensed software to make other software and release it to the public, the resulting software must be opensourced with the same license.
The majority of all open source projects are licensed under gpl version 2. The licensee may redistribute the software without any changes under the gnu gpl. Can i use a software tool licensed with gpl in commercial. If you have licensed software youve written under gpl version 2, and you are the original licensor of that software, you may. How does gplv3s concept of you compare to the definition of legal entity in the apache.
Qgis is a user friendly open source geographic information system gis licensed under the gnu general public license. Software licensed with any gnu license can be used and even. Jan 18, 2017 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. The text of the gnu general public license gpl is in a file named copying in various directories in your linux system. Gnu general public license, version 2 spdx short identifier. A company is running a modified version of a gpl ed program on a web site. Examples of such companies include mysql ab, digia plc qt framework, before 2011 from nokia, red hat. Top 10 best open source softwares that rocks world wide web. Gpl and lgpl refer to their latest versions the latest version of the lgpl.
Commercial software was once considered to be proprietary software, but now a number of free and opensource software applications are licensed or sold to end users. We, the free software foundation, use the gnu general public license for most of our software. Aug 15, 2015 version 2 of the gnu general public license gpl is probably the most commonly used open source software license. Gnu public license is all but free and you should never use it dev. May 12, 2015 software as a service and gnu gpl licensing is not complex, the motto of the license is for disallowing the softwares to control the users and modify, distribute, develop, use the softwares with full freedom along with the other points written in the license. Many of the popular theme and plugin providers in the commercial wordpress space are compliant with the gpl, and you can feel comfortable knowing that the software they.