Sage-Tips

Can GPL code be sold?

Can you sell GPL software/code? Yes, the GPL license allows users to sell the original as well as the modified software. It may be confusing, but free software is referred to as free in terms of freedom and not in terms of price.

Can I use GPL v2 commercial?

There is no field of use restriction in the GPLv2 – users are free to use if however they like, including for commercial purposes.

Can you relicense GPL code?

As for GNU Lesser GPL version 2.1, that explicitly permits relicensing to GNU GPL version 2 or later. Intermediate licenses tend to be incompatible with any copyleft licenses because their requirements don’t permit the combined program to be under the copyleft license.

Is GPL v2 viral?

Mundie argues that the GPL has a “viral” effect in that it only allows the conveyance of whole programs, which means programs that link to GPL libraries must themselves be under a GPL-compatible license, else they cannot be combined and distributed.

Can I change license from GPL to MIT?

You can. 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 two-way. In copyright 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.

Is it possible to release a module under the GPL?

The GPL says that the whole combined program has to be released under the GPL. So your module has to be available for use under the GPL. But you can give additional permission for the use of your code. You can, if you wish, release your module under a license which is more lax than the GPL but compatible with the GPL.

Will you make an exception for a GNU program under the GPL?

Using a certain GNU program under the GPL does not fit our project to make proprietary software. Will you make an exception for us? It would mean more users of that program. If a programming language interpreter is released under the GPL, does that mean programs written to be interpreted by it must be under GPL-compatible licenses?

Should I use the GPL or a more permissive license?

Using the GNU GPL will require that all the released improved versions be free software. This means you can avoid the risk of having to compete with a proprietary modified version of your own work. However, in some special situations it can be better to use a more permissive license.

Who does the GPL License Modified versions of programs to?

The GPL says that modified versions, if released, must be “licensed … to all third parties.” Who are these third parties? Does the GPL allow me to sell copies of the program for money?