Its very common for developers to want to use opensource libraries and frameworks. If the software is calling dynamically linked, gpl licensed libraries, will i need to make the entire project gpl. Gnu is trying to encourage opensource developers to license their libraries under gpl because it gives opensource community a huge advantage. The creative commons attributionsharealike international license version 4. I wont modify anything from source code and the architecture of the system requires the use of a load balancer. Can i use an open source library licensed under apache. This has implications for proprietary andor commercial software developers, as many popular and important libraries are licensed under the gpl. The text of the gnu general public license gpl is in a file named copying in various directories in your linux system. This is an attempt to clarify the most important issues. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source applications under the gpl can use the gpl licensed mysql software, and oems, isvs and vars that do not want to combine or distribute the mysql software with their.
But it may be used in proprietary applications without these applications becoming free software. There are no frontcover texts, no backcover texts, and no invariant sections. Apr 17, 2010 the gpl is tactically less free, but strategically more free. Why you shouldnt use the library gpl for your next. If that commercial application is what youre selling, then youre giving a copy of that software in exchange for money.
Why you should use a bsd style license for your open source. Using gpllicensed components in proprietary projects. Many of stallmans coworkers had left to form two companies based on software developed at mit and licensed by mit. Linking is the technical process of connecting code in a library to the using code, to produce a. Stallman devised an alternative to the commercial software license and called it the gpl, or gnu public license. You may obtain the complete corresponding source code from us for a period of three years after our last shipment of this product, which will be no earlier than 20110801, by sending a money order or. The gpl guarantees everyone with the software identical permissions. Its built with and comes with an awful lot of gpl d software. Being a data scientist in a startup i can program with several languages, but often r is a natural choice. Qgis is a user friendly open source geographic information system gis licensed under the gnu general public license. Does the gpl say they must release their modified sources. Android question can i use gpl libraries on commercial apps. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu. In addition, see the oracle mysql licensing page, where this very issue is discussed.
Why the gpl is incompatible with commercial software filed on feb 25, 2006 by anthony disante 31 replies. It is the licensees and only the licensees who must be granted assess to the source code. Software that detects gpl violations august 2007 forums. A company is running a modified version of a gpl ed program on a web site. If youre distributing unmodified binaries along with a product you ship, then you re required to distribute the source with them, or provide a. Recently i wanted my company to build a product based on r. Any modifications to the core and libraries must be released under the lgpl. However you must license qt under the lgpl and discharge your responsibilities under that license. Why should i use the gnu gpl rather than other free software licenses. I would like to use haproxy as a load balancing solution. A company is running a modified version of a gpled program on a web site.
If it depends on a nonfree library to run at all, it cannot be part of a free. However, businesses using gnu software in commercial activity, and people doing public ftp distribution, should need to check the real english gpl to make sure of. This can be further shortened to gpl, when it is understood that the gnu gpl is the one intended. 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. Aug 26, 2008 early gpl enforcement efforts began soon after the gpl was written by richard stallman in 1989, and consisted of informal community efforts, often in public usenet discussions. The agpl makes straightforward commercial sense we use it. Kaufman is senior commercial counsel open source legal team for red hat, inc.
In some senses, thats very permissive because the aggregate permissiveness is maximized. Jul 24, 2018 when the copyleft agpl was first published, many leaders in the open source community had something to say about the issue of a supposed loophole in the gpl open source license that allowed saas companies to integrate gpl open source libraries without sharing their code. Im not clear on how that affects your products licensing. Software under the gpl may be run for all purposes, including commercial purposes and even as a tool for. Linking is the technical process of connecting code in a library to the using code, to produce a single executable file. In that case, the library cannot give free software any particular advantage, so it is better to use the lesser gpl for that library. Can gnu licensed software be used for commercial gain. The main idea here is that the library remains free software. The implication is that gpled software is not necessarily free from cost, and therefore you can in fact license your programs under the gpl and still sell them for money. It is therefore often thought that gpllicensed software is unsuitable for proprietary projects. Frequently asked questions about version 2 of the gnu gpl. I have read the gpl faq and i think that this one may apply.
The answer to both questions is the gpl, or gnu general public license, the software license that governs the linux kernel and other opensource software. Legal issues are a constant source of questions and confusion. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software. Jeffrey also serves as adjunct professor of law at the university of north carolina. 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. The following licenses are in use for r or associated software such as packages. In all cases, the exact requirements are determined by the applicable license. Modification of l gpl d components suggests contribution back to the creatormaintainer.
This is why we used the lesser gpl for the gnu c library. Whenever changes are made under gpl license, source codes are required and changes must also be licensed under gpl, while lgpl may allow nongpl programs to link to libraries but must still provide source codes. Can i use libraries with gpl licenses on commercial apps without open source. I worked for trolltech, and then later nokia who bought t. Open source library softwares does not need the initial cost of commercial software and enables libraries to have greater control over their working environment. Net core, which provide a basis for software development, platform independence, language interoperability and extensive framework libraries. The most common case is when a free library s features are readily available for proprietary software through other libraries. For example, they may appeal to the ego, promising more users for this library if we let them use the code in proprietary software products. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law center. Difference between gpl and lgpl compare the difference. Can i use gpl libraries on commercial apps without open source.
But this turned out to be a slippery slope into the opensource code licensing field, which continue reading how gpl makes me leave r for python. Gpl is mostly for programs while lgpl is limited to software libraries. Open source software and libraries sukhwinder randhawa abstract. Therefore, if you distribute a program linked against a gpl library, you had best. Why you should use a bsd style license for your open. This article contains a list of libraries that can be used in. Can i use the gplv3 license for my commercial application. Gpl is the acronym for gnus general public license, and its one of the most popular open source licenses. The gpl faq list states explicitly that one can ask for license fees for software under the gpl see, e. Its built with and comes with an awful lot of gpld software. In the discussion following this editorial at freshmeat, matthias ettrich of kde fame claims that its ok for a commercial application to use gpl d libraries. Haufig gestellte fragen zur gnu gplv2 free software foundation.
Can i legally incorporate gpl software in a proprietary, closedsource web app. Can i use gpl software in a commercial application software. The source code for the arduino environment is covered by the gpl, which requires any modifications to be opensourced under the same license. I again dont so much care about the ethics bsds just fine as i do about the commercial impact. The term open source was coined by christine peterson and adopted in 1998 by the founders of the open source initiative. For example, type the following command to find a copy of that file in your linux system for various items. A copy of that license is included in this document on page x. If you want an example of including gpl d software as part of a commercial offering, look at os x. In the discussion following this editorial at freshmeat, matthias ettrich of kde fame claims that its ok for a commercial application to use gpld libraries. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. Frequently answered questions open source initiative. 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.
The lgpl is intended to be a license for libraries. Can i link a gpl program with a proprietary system library. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source applications under the gpl can use the gpllicensed mysql software, and oems, isvs and vars that do not want to. It restricts you from using software to build nongpl software including bsdlicensed free software, but it prevents software from being taken private by commercial developers. 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. Richard stallman created the gpl to protect the gnu software from being made proprietary. If software is licenced under a gpl license, can it be used without restriction in a corporatecommercial environment. It does not prevent the sale of derivative software or its inclusion in commercial products. I do not want to talk about open source since that is the slogan of people who disagree fundamentally with me and with the free software. Jan 31, 2019 being a data scientist in a startup i can program with several languages, but often r is a natural choice. As a free software license, much of the stewardship and support for the gpl has been driven by the free software foundation. Previous to red hat, jeffrey served as patent and open source counsel for qualcomm incorporated and director of.
The documentation shipped with the library and made available over the web, excluding the pages generated from source comments, are ed by the free software foundation, and placed under the gnu free documentation license version 1. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source applications under the gpl can use the gpllicensed mysql software, and oems, isvs and vars that do not want to combine or distribute the mysql software with their. Note that there may also be legal issues with combining certain nonfree libraries with gplcovered free software. Richard stallman and the fsf specifically encourage librarywriters to license under the gpl so that proprietary. However, most of the good code is gpld, which requires releasing modifications and statically linked libraries back to the community under the gpl. If you want an example of including gpld software as part of a commercial offering, look at os x. Open source software is, software that users have the ability to run, copy, distribute, study, change, share and improve for any purpose. If you releasedistribute software using lgpld libraries, your software doesnt need to be covered by the gpl, but the libraries must retain the lgpl. Top 10 gnu gpl license questions answered whitesource. The gpl is tactically less free, but strategically more free.
Feb 25, 2006 advocates of the gnu general public license gnu gpl like to perpetuate the idea that programs released under it are free as in speech, not free as in beer. As much as i love the work of the free software foundation, their focus has ultimately been anchored from the perspective that software absolutely has to be 100% free. Why the gpl is incompatible with commercial software. I have a concern of using gpl v2 and gpl v3 licensed software in commercial production environment. Aug 27, 2007 however, most of the good code is gpl d, which requires releasing modifications and statically linked libraries back to the community under the gpl. Neither does the gpl state that the source code has to be made public. Ffmpeg is licensed under the gnu lesser general public license lgpl version 2. The usual disclaimers apply, this is not legal advice. It restricts you from using software to build non gpl software including bsdlicensed free software, but it prevents software from being taken private by commercial developers. Despite the critical role the gpl plays in the advance of linux, not many people understand its terms. Verwendung gpllizenzierter komponenten in kommerziellen. In other words, the product distributed is not really the software itself but its output. Some features, such as support for some external libraries libx264 and libx265 for example and various filters, are covered by the gnu general public license gpl version 2 or later see commercial x264 license exception below. Just want to extra clarify the statement it wont infect thats exactly what the gpl license is designed to do be viral.
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. I understand you clarify fairly well the terms where it can infect by saying unless you link to it but i want people to understand that literally unless you do anything but drop a gpl based executable or shared library used only by a gpl executable, that is. Using open source libraries with closed source software. The software that i am refering to is qgis which provides this description.
Can i use gpl software binaries in commercial environment. A gpl linking exception modifies the gnu general public license gpl in a way that enables software projects which provide library code to be linked to the programs that use them, without applying the full terms of the gpl to the using program. Lgpl the lesser gnu general public license the lgpl the lesser gpl is a modified version of the gpl that has an exemption allowing a library to be dynamically linked see section 4 with a program without requiring the program itself to be licensed under the gpl or lpgl. 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. The software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl. May 27, 2016 gpl the gnu general public license the gpl is a copyleft software licence 1 published by the usbased free software foundation. It would certainly make this plea from rms redundant not to mention the lgpl, but cou. Communications on law stack exchange are not privileged communications and do not create an attorneyclient relationship. Standard libraries including the base class library are not included in this article. The most widespread such license is the gnu general public license, or gnu gpl for short. Gpl the gnu general public license the gpl is a copyleft software licence 1 published by the usbased free software foundation. Why you shouldnt use the lesser gpl for your next library. Proprietary software developers, seeking to deny the free competition an important advantage, will try to convince authors not to contribute libraries to the gplcovered collection.