Permission to use a software on nonexclusive basis, and subject to the listed conditions. Selling a copy of a free program is legitimate, and we encourage it. They couldnt do it, even if those were good things. Today, free software is available for just about any task you can imagine. Secondly, any code you see on this site, my github account, or receive from me in any way is, unless otherwise explicitly stated, distributed under the terms of the mit license above. There are a lot of different reasons why you would want to add a license to your code. We recommend that people consider using the gnu agpl for any software which will commonly be run over a network. Can gnu licensed software be used for commercial gain without selling the software. The gnu general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works.
Some are based on the number machines on which the licensed program can run whereas others are based on the number of users that can use the program. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu. We have designed this license in order to use it for manuals for free software, because free software needs free documentation. Could i use software licensed under gnu gplv3 for commercial. This article is a general introduction to software licensing. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software. I have used this text data and created a ios product. A number of businesses use multi licensing to distribute a gpl version and sell a proprietary license to companies wishing. You are expressly forbidden from selling or otherwise distributing the licensed software, or any portion thereof, except as expressly permitted herein. Sposting this here as some of you are experts in gnu licensing, and linuxquestions seems to be more for technical help. Jun 29, 2007 the gnu general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works. Can you take an open source software, modify it and sell. On selling exceptions to the gnu gpl free software. Making sense of software licensing articles and howtos.
Any use of the work, other than as authorised under this licence is prohibited to the extent such use is covered by a right of the holder of the work. Then sell us the licence rights that you no longer need and make your unexploited capital work for you. This license is aimed at giving and protecting all users unlimited freedom to use, study, and privately modify the software, and if the user adheres to the terms and conditions of the gpl, freedom to redistribute. It is a lax, permissive noncopyleft free software license, compatible with the gnu gpl. Software licensing describes the legal rights pertaining to the authorized use of digital material. Aug 26, 2008 the software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl.
When i cosigned the letter objecting to oracles planned purchase of mysql 1 along with the rest of sun, some free software supporters were surprised that i approved of the practice of selling license exceptions which the mysql developers have used. Some views on the ideas of selling exceptions to free software licenses, such as the gnu gpl are also available many people believe that the spirit of the gnu project is that you should not charge money for distributing copies of software, or that you should charge as little as possiblejust enough to cover the cost. Nooelec hackrf one software defined radio sdr, ant500. Allowing an individual or group to use a piece of software. The question is, why would someone buy it, if presumably, they can get it for free. 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. Can software licensed under gnu general public license v3 be sold by the original author. Last modified, 20070322 the content on this website, of which is the author, is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4. I have been researching the gnu and gpl licenses and i cant find a straight answer to a question i have.
Gpl and other foss licenses give everybody the right to sell software. The gnu general public license version 1 solved this problem by simply referring to the program. Do you have superfluous commercial software licences. Various licenses and comments about them gnu project. Nearly all applications are licensed rather than sold. The free software foundation and its sprout the gnu project are a core element. If you sell that server to them, and they get the server with the gpl software on it, you are required to offer them the source code to it. Nov 24, 2015 some examples of licenses that you can use for software. Gnu public license is all but free and you should never use it. When you purchase a digital product, youre not buying the cddvd and packaging, but a license to use the software. Why should i use the gnu gpl rather than other free software licenses. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. Hello, software licensed under gpl can be modified and used locally on your machine as you wish. I know selling said software to other parties as my own is obviously against the rules, but what about simply using it in a commercial application and making commercial gain with its use.
Open source software included in the licensed software is not licensed under the terms of this agreement, but is instead licensed under the terms of the applicable open source licenses, such as the bsd license, apache license or the gnu lesser general public license. However, once you go to distribute it, you must release your modifications to the software under the same license. A hackrf one and ant500 antenna from great scott gadgets and 4 sma antenna adapters from nooelec are included in your custom bundle purchase. There are no frontcover texts, no backcover texts, and no invariant sections.
General public license gnu gpl has no requirements about how much you can charge for distributing a copy of free software. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu project. A standard interface means an interface that either is an official standard defined by a recognized standards body, or, in the case of interfaces specified for a particular programming language, one that is widely used among developers. Failure to adhere to software license agreement terms often incurs criminal charges related to licensed intellectual property ip and ed material.
I know selling said software to other parties as my own is obviously against the rules, but what about simply using it in a commercial application and making commercial. The right to sell copies is part of the definition of free software. It is similar to the gnu general public license, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify except for invariant sections a work and requires all copies and derivatives to be available under the same. The licensed software is licensed to you, not sold. It is similar to the gnu general public license, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify except for invariant sections a work and requires all copies and derivatives to be available. At idr solutions i have spent a lot of time contributing to the java pdf library and pdf to html5 converter code base and i thought it might be useful to look at ways you can license your software.
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. This european union public licence the eupl applies to the work or software as defined below which is provided under the terms of this licence. Software licenses can be defined as permissive or copyleft. This is a free software license, compatible with the gnu gpl. Sep 05, 2018 software licensing describes the legal rights pertaining to the authorized use of digital material. 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. Nov 06, 2015 this article was made in order to support the open source thinking, production and distribution by demonstrating some negative sides and setbacks about the gnu license as it is now and present solutions for those in order to eventually move on to a better and more free open source. Microsoft seems to claim that gpl has some viral properties, does nonfree software not have these same properties. Im interested in using some gnu licensed software to help my employer attract clients. May 26, 2014 when and wherever possible, however, i will always use the mit license for my code and will only use a gpl license if given no other option.
If you are going to use a programming ide that is distributed under a gnu gpl does the software made have to be covered under the the gnu gpl licenses or can it be sold. Free software has become the foundation of a learning society where we share our knowledge in a way that others can build upon and enjoy. This article was made in order to support the open source thinking, production and distribution by demonstrating some negative sides and setbacks about the gnu license as it is now and present solutions for those in order to eventually move on to a better and more free open source. This general public license applies to most of the free software foundations software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. Software licensed under the gnu general public license is free software, and all software that builds on gpl licensed components is also free and must also be licensed under the gpl. Gpl makes it impossible to earn money by selling the software itself. Millions of people around the worldincluding entire governmentsare now using free software on their computers. What is free software and why is it so important for. The people to whom you sold copies of gpl software are just as free as you are to. If i can get the code of, modify and redistribute a gpllicensed. For example, it adds a restriction on selling the licensed software, which fails to satisfy certain criteria in the osi open source definition.
Can software licensed under gnu general public license v3 be. If the code is running on the server, people visiting the website doesnt constitute distribution as defined by the gpl. To make it free software, you need to release it under a free software license. Software licensed with any gnu license can be used and even modified everywhere, including in a corporate environment, without any restrictions. 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. Does the original author has a permission to sell his own software, even if he releases it under the gplv3. A software license does not automatically transfer the ownership of the software to the buyer and its purchase price, in effect, is a one time rental fee. The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works. On selling exceptions to the gnu gpl free software foundation. Under the gpl, while you can sell it, theres really no point in buying it. How can stallman justify selling license exceptions to companies. Selling free software gnu project free software foundation.
What is free software and why is it so important for society. An example of a copyleft free software license is the often used gnu general public license gpl, also the first copyleft license. In the long run, how many people use free software is determined mainly by. As i know, softwares licensed under the gnu gpl is totally free and not allowed for sale. Understanding the copyright license smashing magazine. Clearly it is possible to develop powerful and complex. Try selling an open source game, youll see what i mean. From complete operating systems like gnu, to over 5,000 individual programs and tools listed in the fsfunesco free software directory.
A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law center. 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. You can charge nothing, a penny, a dollar, or a billion dollars. Frequently answered questions open source initiative. It is therefore often thought that gpl licensed software is unsuitable for proprietary 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. However be aware that if you or the company ever make changes to the software and want to distribute it, it must be distributed with full source code, on the same license terms as the original software. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a program to make sure it remains free software for all its users.
Perhaps what you mean is if i build a server and use gpl licensed software on it then, your obligations will differ based on what you do with that server. However, when people think of selling software, they usually imagine doing it the way most companies do it. It complements the gnu general public license, which is a copyleft license designed for free software. The latter removes the right to add further license restrictions upon redistribution. Ive never felt that companies selling gpllicensed software will go very far. 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. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any patent must be licensed for everyones free use or not licensed at all. The gnu free documentation license gnu fdl or simply gfdl is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the free software foundation fsf for the gnu project. Gpl and other foss licenses give everybody the right to sell software with the constraints above, for whatever price the market will bear. As the following article explains, my feelings about selling license exceptions are mixed.
For example, if you write some software and release it under the gnu general public license a widelyused copyleft license, and then someone else modifies that software and distributes their modified version, the modified version must be licensed under the gnu gpl too including any new code written specifically to go into the modified. This doesnt mean that those actions are always, surely illegal. We normally use the gnu general public license gnu gpl, specifying version 3 or any later version, but occasionally we use other free software licenses. Free and open source licenses include free software with no monetary usage charge, but. But now, having been in the drivers seat selling services for open source software applications, i can provide a more specific definition of value, particularly as it applies to application software in contrast with infrastructure software. Gnu general public license an open education reader. They do not, however, give anybody the right to fool customers or give them misleading information. Can gpl licenced software be used in corporate environments. There are a variety of different types of software licenses. Why open source licenses with a commons clause may become. Gnu is composed wholly of free software, most of which is licensed under the gnu projects own general public license gnu is a recursive acronym for gnus not unix. A number of businesses use multilicensing to distribute a gpl version and sell a proprietary license to companies wishing. Strictly speaking, selling means trading goods for money. Its interesting that gpl licensed software can be used to create proprietary software.
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. 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. Title to licensed software delivered hereunder remains vested in nxp or nxps licensor and cannot be assigned or transferred. However, today i found this program called minitube and it is sold even though it is licensed under gplv3. 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. To use free software is to make a political and ethical choice asserting the right to learn, and share what we learn with others.
Due to system change, downsizing, closure of divisions, insolvency or other reasons. Some views on the ideas of selling exceptions to free software licenses, such as. Such a work is either the program or any derivative work under. The phrase work based on the program in section 2 of the gpl is further defined in the gpl. This is a lax, permissive noncopyleft free software license, compatible with the gnu gpl. Gnu is composed wholly of free software, most of which is licensed under the gnu projects own general public license gpl. Software licensing is a complicated topic, but knowing a little about software licensing can help you make sense of all that fine print. Can software licensed under gnu general public license v3. Software licensed with any gnu license can be used and even modified.
The following are four specific insights that are tied to selling and marketing open source software. The software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl. Does all gnu software use the gnu gpl as its license. Can software that modifies a library under gnu gpl be sold without. Most gnu software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary gnu general public license, which was designed for utility programs. Using a gnu licensed software to make new software to be sold. Gnu is composed wholly of free software, most of which is licensed under the gnu projects own general public license. If you target selling, better switch to bsd libraries or link. 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. Can gnu licensed software be used for commercial gain. I have some text data that is under the license terms of gpl.
Using a gnu licensed software to make new software to be. Your purchase includes everything you need to get started with software defined radio. Nov 10, 2005 up to that point licences for gnu software had been written on an adhoc basis for each software release, and were often peppered with direct references to the software they licensed. To learn about specific microsoft server and client licensing scenarios, see an introduction to microsoft server and client licensing. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software to make sure the software is free for all its users.
Can you take an open source software, modify it and sell it if the license is gnu gpl. A copy of that license is included in this document on page x. Is it okay when selling software to charge small fees for it e. It is therefore often thought that gpllicensed software is unsuitable for proprietary projects. The open source definition was originally derived from the debian free software guidelines dfsg. Is the gnu license free enough to support the open source.