Dual licensing usually refers to licensing software under both a proprietary license and an open source license, typically the gpl. Various licenses and comments about them gnu project free. License compatibility is a legal framework that allows for pieces of software with different software licenses to be distributed together. If a license or copying file exists, use it along with the license text from one source header file preferred, if there are inconsistencies multiple versions, different licenses report this information and then we can determine what the next steps should be to reconcile. The term dual licensing is most properly used to refer to giving the recipient a choice of being a licensee under license a or license b.
What dual licensing means in terms of computer software dps. Dual licensing emerged as an open source business model in the early 2000s, and it typically refers to the release of a software component under two licenses simultaneously. However, gplv3 software could only be combined and share code with gplv2 software if the gplv2 license used had the optional or later clause and the software was upgraded to gplv3. For example, in the case of an gplmit dual licensed piece of software and source code, if this was just licensed under the gpl then anybody. The vouchers have no expiration date so if just one voucher is redeemed after suse releases any gplv3ed software then all recipients of that gplv3ed software are safe from any microsoft patent attacks. 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. Any modifications of this code base must be distributed with the same license, gplv3. Can you distribute software under gpl v3 and require users to. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free softwareto make sure the software is free for all its users. If a company is considering releasing its own software as open source. The license was originally written by richard stallman of the free software foundation fsf for the gnu project, and grants the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free. According to the terms of the gpl, if software is based. Apache 2 software can therefore be included in gplv3 projects, because the gplv3 license accepts our software into gplv3 works.
Stet was the first software system known to be released under the gnu agpl, on november 21, 2007, and is the only known program to be used mainly for the production of its own license flask developer armin ronacher noted in 20 that the gnu agpl is a terrible success, especially among the startup community as a vehicle for dual commercial licensing, and. This may mean multiple different software licenses or sets of licenses. In general we say that several licenses are compatible if there is a way to merge. Ive been developing a software for 4 year, and i have spread parts of it under a gpl license for 2 years without being aware of it its complicated since the beginning of the project i built it in partnership with a foundation, which put money on this, at the condition to put it under gpl.
Matsumoto updated his free software license diagnostic for a special opensource section in the january 2007 edition of softbanks open source magazine. License compatibility and relicensing gnu project free. Gplv3 and software as a service by brett smith contributions published on mar 29, 2007 09. As the holder, you can do whatever you wish with your own code. See the gnu general public license for more details. Ive seen the contract made between my company which is a public school and the foundation. Gnu general public license, version 2 spdx short identifier. Prefixes may be used to indicate the number of licenses used, e. Gil yehuda, i make decisions about software licensing. Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail. We recommend that people consider using the gnu agpl for any software which will commonly be run over a network. So you can give the code to your friend under the gplv3 licens. Recent versions of the open software license have a term which requires distributors to try to obtain explicit assent to the license.
Busybox is licensed under the gnu general public license, version 2. An anonymous reader writes to mention that sources inside sun microsystems claim that opensolaris may see the gplv3 added to its list of licenses soon. As the holder, you can use whichever license you like to the extent that you can use different licenses when dealing with different people. Is it possible to have gpl software in the mac app store.
The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works. Gnu public license is all but free and you should never. If i modify code that is dual licensed under the gpl and an mit. Duallicensing on a gpl software law stack exchange. This general public license applies to most of the free software foundations software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. A contributor is a holder who authorizes use under this license of the program or a work on which the program is based. Multilicensing is the practice of distributing software under two or more different sets of terms and conditions. The need for such a framework arises because the different licenses can contain contradictory requirements, rendering it impossible to legally combine source code from separatelylicensed software in order to create and publish a new. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a widely used free software license, which guarantees end users the freedom to run, study, share and modify the software. A contributors essential patent claims are all patent claims owned or controlled by the contributor. Gpl is free software as well as mit is, both licenses do not restrict you to bring together the code where as include is always twoway. This program is dual licensed under the mit and gplv3 licenses. Apache 2 software can therefore be included in gplv3 projects, because the gplv3 license accepts our software. 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 free software foundation considers the apache license, version 2. If you distribute gpllicensed software the license requires that you also distribute the. Using gpl 3rd party code for internal closed source project. This license is based on gplv3 with a new requirement to ensure that users who interact with the software over a network can receive the source for that program. We hope we will never need to make a gnu gpl version 4, but nothing is. The software author or license can not be held liable for any damages inflicted by the software. Unfortunately, while it is compliant with the license of grub 2 and any other gplv3covered software, we see two serious problems with the microsoft program approach. The open source license is designed for you to use isotope to build open source and personal projects. Dual license with gpl and a closed source license software. Based on what youve said about libraries, what you have there is not, most likely, a package of programs. 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.
Also keep in mind that the original author can dual license. Mysql states on its web site, our software is 100 percent gpl, and if. Nothing prevents you from closing your own source in your own. It also contains a patent license and retaliation clause which is designed to prevent patents including patent trolls from encumbering the software project. Gpl so others can read, maintain and modify if they share their changes.
This license is probably not needed ianal and unmaintained because the artistic 2. This is true even if you follow multiple arrows to get from one license to the other. You cant take gpl licensed parts and relicense them under the mit license, since that is against the gpl terms. Gnu public license is all but free and you should never use it matteo joliveau oct 17 17 originally. And commercial for businesses making money with the library, so i can sustain its development. The gplv3 has many terms, but the most important is how it is sticky when you distribute your work publicly. This is because both gplv2 and gplv3 are copyleft licenses. Developers sometimes attempt to explicitly dual license their code under the gpl and a permissive license. You should have received a copy of the gnu general public license along with this program. Ive done a lot of research on this, but im still quite confused. The software freedom law center provides practical advice for developers about including permissively licensed source. This is a tutorial on how to license your free software with gnu glp v3 licence.
It is incompatible with the gnu gpl in several ways. Dual license usually refers to making software youve written available under two different licenses, not attempting to use one license on one part and a different license on the other part. A lax license does nothing to interfere with putting the code into proprietary software. It updates its predecessor to reflect the changes that have taken place in the it world over the sixteen years that separate them. Is dual licensing a software that contains gpl programs. This was conceptually similar to a dual license, except that the different licenses. Im currently working on an arduinocompatible software project. The gnu general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works. Gpl license for software and online service comparison. Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the open source definition in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. The dual licensing model answered a need for commercial organizations that wanted to find a way to make open source development economically viable. Lots of great free software is available under this license, with strong communities surrounding it. Using gpl 3rd party code for internal closed source project closed ask question asked 10 years.
Gplv3 improved compatibility with several open source software licenses such as apache license, version 2. In for a combined work that is two or more works form together a work, it does not make much of a difference if the one work is larger than the other or not. The project is open source, so i want others to make use of it as well, but i dont want them to create derivative works with closedsource licenses. For maximum flexibility if the gpl suits your project better presumably someone could leverage a portion of jquery in a larger project. For private software, any license that allows you to use the code works, because youre not distributing it. Confusion about dual license mitgpl software engineering. Is dual licensing a software that contains gpl programs possible. Gplv3 and software as a service free software foundation. The biggest motivation for using the dual licensing model is to make.
The gnu general public license v3 gpl v3 for short is the next version of the extremely popular free and open source licence the gpl v2. Maintaining permissivelicensed files in a gpllicensed. The work thus licensed is called the contributors contributor version. Openfoam is distributed by the openfoam foundation and is freely available and open source, licensed under the gnu general public licence. Other examples are perl, which is dual licensed under the gpl or artistic. How to license your free software with gnu gpl v3 youtube. An important licensing and business strategy in commercial open source software industry.
While sun officials would not confirm the plan to duallicense opensolaris under the cddl and gplv3, tom goguen, vice president of solaris software at sun, told eweek that other opensource. The open software license is a free software license. While dual licensing is a broad subject, which can be applied in various ways, this guide will focus on a permissivecopyleft dual licensing scheme, which is what we recommend for most users on xs. Softwarelicensegpl3andartistic2 gpl 3 and artistic 2. Why upgrade to gplv3 gnu project free software foundation. Other examples are perl, which is duallicensed under the gpl or artistic.
Gplv2 is compatible with gplv3 if the program allows you to choose any later version of the gpl, which is. Various licenses and comments about them gnu project. Dual licensing is based on the idea of simultaneous use of both open source and proprietary licenses. 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. Note that theres a big difference between dual licensing you can take under gpl or a commercial license and whats being. My question is very similar, but crucially different from this one i have a library that i want to offer under a dual license.
It additionally makes duallicensing possible, whereby you can either comply with the gpl or pay the developer for commercial use. Dual licensing means you keep the same code, under two different licenses. The free software foundation today released the second discussion draft of the gnu affero general public license gnu agpl. Which is why i am in favor of whoever wants to profit from making an open source educational license. How should you share the source code under a duallicense. In addition to clarifying the rules about licenses that are already gplcompatible, gplv3 is also newly compatible with a few other licenses. There are two main elements to the gpl, designed to prevent open source software being exploited by their inclusion within nonfree, closed sourced software. If i modify code that is dual licensed under the gpl and an mit license, are there are any issues. The gnu affero general public license is based on the gnu gpl, but has an additional term to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a network to receive the source for that program. When we say that gplv2 and gplv3 are incompatible, it means there is no legal way to combine code under gplv2 with code under gplv3 in a single program. The gpl licenses gplv3, gplv2, lgpl, affero gpl all contain some kind of sharealike license. Gplv3 has its own peculiarities, but is very similar in. The relicensing section 4cii means that projects no longer need to duallicense with the gpl, because the artistic license itself allows redistribution of the code under the gpl or any copyleft license.
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