Can a module be released under the GPL?

Can a module be released 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.

Is the X11 license compatible with the GPL?

No. The X11 license is compatible with the GPL, so you can add a module to the GPL-covered program and put it under the X11 license. But if you were to incorporate them both in a larger program, that whole would include the GPL-covered part, so it would have to be licensed as a whole under the GNU GPL.

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.

Can you sell a modified version of the GPL?

You are allowed to sell copies of the modified program commercially, but only under the terms of the GNU GPL. Thus, for instance, you must make the source code available to the users of the program as described in the GPL, and they must be allowed to redistribute and modify it as described in the GPL.

Can a GPL program be used as a drop in replacement?

If you are using a GPL program, but you could easily use a different one as a drop-in replacement, you’re communicating at arms length. If using a different, but similar program, means you have to re-architect your application, it’s not at arms length.

Is it legal to use GPL code in a proprietary, closed?

An “original work” that uses code from another source is in fact a derivative work of both the original work and the other source, and it is the derivative work that is required to be licensed under the GPL. The original work remains under whatever licence it had before.

Is the GPL a license from the developer?

Strictly speaking, the GPL is a license from the developer for others to use, distribute and change the program. The developer itself is not bound by it, so no matter what the developer does, this is not a “violation” of the GPL.