Contributing

Can I use GPL software for commercial purposes?

Can I use GPL software for commercial purposes?

Software under the GPL may be run for all purposes, including commercial purposes and even as a tool for creating proprietary software, such as when using GPL-licensed compilers. Users or companies who distribute GPL-licensed works (e.g. software), may charge a fee for copies or give them free of charge.

What is GNU Affero General Public License v3?

The GNU Affero General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works, specifically designed to ensure cooperation with the community in the case of network server software.

What is the main difference between the GNU Affero GPL and the regular GPL?

The difference between the AGPL and traditional GPL is simple: The AGPL seeks to close a “loophole” that allows a company or organization to modify GPL’ed software and use it to provide a service — but without actually distributing changes.

Does AGPL allow commercial use?

iText is available under the open source AGPL license, as well as a commercial license. If you purchase a commercial license, you can keep your source code to yourself allowing you to retain your IP. If you use the AGPL version, you need to release your source code free of charge.

What is GPL compatible?

GPL compatibility. Many of the most common free-software licenses, especially the permissive licenses, such as the original MIT/X license, BSD licenses (in the three-clause and two-clause forms, though not the original four-clause form), MPL 2.0, and LGPL, are GPL-compatible.

What is wrong with AGPL?

The disadvantages of the AGPL are: Puts some teams off open-source packages as it forces all other code to become GPLed software. Some view it as excessive as any module in any dependent package that uses AGPL makes all other software subject to similar restrictions.

Is GPL compatible with AGPL?

Within the GPL family of licenses, GPL compatibility and AGPL compatibility are identical: Each place that the matrix states GPLv3, the same statement about compatibility is true for AGPLv3 as well. This is likely due to the explicit coordination in the section 13 of the AGPL and GPLv3 itself.

What’s wrong with AGPL?

Is the Affero GPL a free software license?

The Affero General Public License (Affero GPL and informally Affero License) is a free software license.

Why is the Affero GPL better than the GNU GPL?

Both the ordinary GNU GPL, version 3, and the GNU Affero GPL have text allowing you to link together modules under these two licenses in one program. The GNU Affero GPL does not address the problem of Service as a Software Substitute (SaaSS). SaaSS means that users use someone else’s web server to do their own computing.

What does GPL stand for in the GNU license?

“GPL” stands for “General Public License”. The most widespread such license is the GNU General Public License, or GNU GPL for short. This can be further shortened to “GPL”, when it is understood that the GNU GPL is the one intended.

What does it mean to commercialize GPL’d software?

You’re implying “commercialization” means “closed source”. GPL’d as well as AGPL’d software can be sold. Others can download it, modify it, sell it as well, and make a lot of money off it. There’s nothing wrong with that. As long as you make the source available under the same license it was made available for you.