Questions about the GNU General Public License
0
votes
4answers
152 views
Need some clarity on the GPL
Suppose someone writes some code, and publishes it as open source under the GPL. Later they decide to close source their application and put it for sale. Is that in violation of the GPL? All code in ...
2
votes
3answers
167 views
Can I brand my open-source application?
Is it possible for the author to register a logo or the name of his/her application when it is open-source because it uses a gpl library (for example)? The application uses the library but it has its ...
8
votes
4answers
875 views
Is any JavaScript code used only for websites, open source?
Rewritten question:
I'm not asking a JavaScript-related question, but all "client" languages used on the web (HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, and so on). If I put JavaScript code (that is GPLed) on my ...
5
votes
4answers
344 views
The GPL License Mixing
From the understanding that I am gradually gathering about the GPL it is not possible to mix licenses unless both have a special clause added to allow so. So how are the following possible?
Let's use ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
Can any GPLv2 licensed library be used in a company's internal intranet application?
I am creating an internal application for the company I am contracted to. We wish to use a GPLv2 licensed library in this application. Some points
The application is to be used within the confines ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Using GPL libraries without modification on a commercial website, do I need to make my source code available?
If I write a public-facing commercial website, and use a GPL javascript library and/or binaries without modifying them (such as plupload), would I be required to make the source for my website ...
1
vote
4answers
299 views
Original author rights in a licensed software project
I'm working on a software project where so far I'm the sole developer. As of right now the code is unlicensed, but the copyright of whatever I've written belongs to me (this is true at least in North ...
0
votes
2answers
123 views
Questions about software licensing [duplicate]
I've been having a discussion about licensing and open source software. Basically - the other guy is saying that licensing is easy, if you're going to build a product you can use an (any) open source ...
3
votes
1answer
406 views
Distributing my Application inside a Debian Virtual Machine Image— How to meet GPL obligations?
I have a Linux application I've developed, and I have created a standalone VMWare Image that people can download to try out the application without needing to install and configure a Linux Server. I ...
5
votes
3answers
544 views
Is it OK to learn an algorithm from an open source project, and then implement it in a closed source project?
Reference The post that started it all
In order to clear up the original question I asked in a provocative manner, I have posed this question.
If you learn an algorithm from an open source project, ...
12
votes
3answers
921 views
Using a GPLv3 Python module, will my entire project have to be GPLv3 licensed?
I'm working on a small project right now that I plan on releasing under an open-source license (haven't decided which yet). The question I have is that one of the Python modules I use is licensed ...
0
votes
2answers
348 views
OpenCart (GPLv3)
I'm planning to use OpenCart to build a web site. According to the licence (GPLv3) it's necessary to provide the source code of any modifications made. Is it acceptable to provide this on request or ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
SUN Java and GPL V2 licence issue for linked applications
I have recently noticed that the Sun Java code has been released as GPL V2 code (see Google code repo). Does that mean that all applications written in Java and linked to Sun APIs (beans, and so on) ...
4
votes
1answer
198 views
Can I link GPL and CDDL if I do not distribute?
Perhaps this is an esoteric question, since I will never distribute the code in question and I can fairly easily avoid using GPL code, but I'm curious and it's bugging me--but not enough to consult a ...
2
votes
2answers
81 views
Options for software licensing for plugins?
I'm creating a software application where up until now, the majority of code and assets have been produced by me. There are smaller bits of code that I've taken from other places; these have all been ...
3
votes
2answers
589 views
What license is applicable for an app based on CodeIgniter?
I am trying to fork an application that is based on CodeIgniter. According to the GoogleCode page, the license is GPLv3. However, examining the license.txt file inside the root directory of the ...
2
votes
2answers
229 views
GPL: terms of license
I'd like to use the VLC's DLL in one of my programs.
VLC is under the GPL license.
Do I have to redistribute all the sources under GPL or can I redistribute only the modified sources of VLC under ...
7
votes
10answers
1k views
Rewriting GPL code to change license
I have found a GPL library (no dual license), which does exactly what I need. Unfortunately, the GPL license on the library is incompatible with the license of a different library I use. I have ...
12
votes
6answers
394 views
How do I spot and document a GPL violation?
How to spot that someone copied open source code licensed with GPL to their closed source commercial application, when you don't have access to their closed source code?
Edit: Great answers! Part 2. ...
0
votes
1answer
302 views
using / linking to MS-PL licensed code from (A)GPLv3
I have some trouble understanding MSPL (Microsoft Permissive License) conditions regarding linking to / using a library under MSPL from a project of mine which I want to license on either AGPLv3 or ...
3
votes
2answers
264 views
Is Selling GPL licensed Software Effective?
Let us say that someone writes a piece of software and licenses it under the GPL. Then they go on to sell it. Will this be effective? Won't someone just buy it and redistribute at a lower price? Do ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
GPL Confusion! Can I sell a product with GPL covered components without making the source available?
I'm really confused..
I'm looking into making a commercial program and there are a few open source, GPL covered components i'd like to use..
Am I allowed to sell my product with the components in ...
5
votes
5answers
290 views
Standard GPL friendly clauses in employment contract?
My employer is happy for me to release certain work under GPL, however the standard contract has a "All IP belongs to the company" section of the contract.
They are happy to amend this to something ...
3
votes
4answers
976 views
Relicense BSD 2/3-clause code to GPL
Suppose I release some source code under the new BSD license. Is it allowed for someone else to take this code, make modifications to it and distribute it under the terms of the GPL? From Wikipedia:
...
16
votes
4answers
1k views
Do I need to contact a lawyer to report a GPL violation in software distributed on Apple's App Store?
Some company is selling software through Apple's App Store which uses portions of code that I released publicly under the GPL. The company is violating the licensing terms in two ways, by (1) not ...
2
votes
5answers
545 views
GPL Confusion (I made a mistake)
I have a project that I created under GPL (I am copyright holder). The mistake I made is I deciding to go closed source, in doing that I removed the open source download access and removed the project ...
2
votes
2answers
639 views
GPL copyright notice
I don't have copyright licence from local government. How can I use GPL? As far as I know a step to apply GPL is to add the copyright notice:
Copyright XXXX shabab haider...
What shall I write in ...
3
votes
5answers
394 views
Is it appropriate to only release the GPL-licensed part of the code as open source?
Is it appropriate to release incomplete open-source firmware, or in other words, to release only GPL software but not proprietary software source code?
How are non-open-source programs, in compiled ...
0
votes
2answers
243 views
9
votes
7answers
2k views
How to get started in opensource projects and programs [duplicate]
I am interested in starting to learn how to contribute to open source projects and Linux in general. I am a first year B.Sc. Computer Science student this year and we use c++ as our main programming ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
Using C++/Java to develop software and sell it
I know this question has been asked here before, and I also know that this website is for programming questions only, but please do make an exception, as none of the posts I've come across on this ...
2
votes
5answers
513 views
How to make a GPL license with more severe penalties?
I am considering open sourcing some software, but when I read the answers on this questions, it seems like the penalty of ignoring a GPL license is rather small, compared to the costs of the suing ...
6
votes
5answers
982 views
What would happen if a bit of GPL code sneaked into the Windows source code? [closed]
Imagine that an unfaithful (or maybe careless) employee at Microsoft managed to sneak in three lines of GPL code into a the core of a distribution of Windows. Wouldn't this mean that Microsoft would ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Can a user relicense LGPL as GPL or GPL as AGPL?
The LGPL (we'll just assume version 3 for all in discussion for ease), is a less restrictive version of the GPL, likewise, the AGPL, is a more restrictive version of the GPL, but is it possible to use ...
4
votes
4answers
254 views
Asset licensing and GPL compatibility
If I want to bundle fonts and images with an application released under the GPL, are there specific requirements for the license of these assets?
3
votes
2answers
499 views
Is it legal to distribute a GPLv3 licensed binary through the apples' app store?
I wrote a small multiplatform app and I am considering publishing the osx version in apple store. I've licensed the app under a GPLv3 license.
I sort of like the GPLv3 license but I also like the ...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Must source code released under GPL be human-readable?
In a response to another question, a poster suggested that under the GPL:
...you need to provide the human readable [code], not a whitespace stripped version...
Readability would seem to me to ...
16
votes
3answers
2k views
How is client-side javascript covered by the GPL?
If I used a GPL-licensed Javascript libarary in a web application, would I then have to offer source code of the whole site to anyone who downloaded and executed the Javascript lib?
1
vote
1answer
317 views
Searching for a license compatible with BSD, LGPL, and either MIT or GPL version 2, for commercial open source app
I'm writing a web app which I want to use commercially (i.e. I want to charge people to use it), but I'm happy to make the code available for others to fork. The app includes the following:
Django: ...
6
votes
3answers
832 views
Can I use this GPL'd PGP library internally in my company?
This PGP library was bought up by Network Associates and then eventually Symantec Corporation.
The source code is available and is licensed under the GPL (it was linked to from here).
They have a ...
3
votes
3answers
730 views
When porting code, must I follow the original license?
I'm an iOS developer and I've found myself porting code from several other languages recently for various projects and it got me thinking about code licensing.
When porting code, is that considered ...
2
votes
3answers
256 views
Sharing code in LGPL and proprietary software
I'm working on a piece of software that'll be released as a dll under LGPL. The software interfaces with hardware from a small company that has provided me with the needed libraries and some code to ...
2
votes
4answers
115 views
Licensing OS code, is it possible to protect certain blocks of code?
I'm working on a piece of code which is free to use, but when a license code (or serial key or any other term like that) has been bought will remove some advertising.
The code will be freely ...
6
votes
6answers
405 views
GPL'ing code of a third party?
I am facing the following dilemma at the moment. I am using code from a scientific paper in a commercial project. So basically I copied and pasted the code from the paper's pdf into my code editor ...
1
vote
2answers
55 views
GPLv2 and formats
Do you think a re-distributor providing full source in a weird archive format is complying with the GPL?
This project
http://sourceforge.net/projects/minivmac/
is GPLv2 based on the earlier vMac ...
9
votes
7answers
3k views
Avoid GPL violation by moving library out of process
Assume there is a library that is licensed under GPL. I want to use it is closed source project. I do following:
Create small wrapper application around that GPL library that listens to socket, ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Including a GPL-license library in a commercial Java program
I am in the process of helping develop a commercial Java program. We want to use a certain third-party LookAndFeel in the GUI. The problem is that the LookAndFeel library is GPL licensed. Since we are ...
4
votes
4answers
352 views
Help me choose an Open-Source license
So I've done lots of open-source work. I have released many projects, most of which have fallen under GPL, LGPL, or BSD licensing.
Now I have a new project (an implementation library), and I can't ...
19
votes
1answer
11k views
Can I use GPL software in a commercial application
I have 3 questions about the GPL here:
If I use GPL software in my application, but don't modify or distribute it, do I have to release my application under the GPL?
What if I modify some software ...
2
votes
2answers
652 views
How does trilicense (mpl,gpl,lgpl) work when you want to use it on public website
I have tried to search for this answer for quite some time and I have gone through all the various FAQ's and documentation regarding the three licenses; but none of them have been able to answer a ...
