Question about Licensing
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I have a question about code licensing, maybe some informed individual can chime in.
Suppose I'm developing a C5 add-on, and I want to use a PHP library that's released under the GPL license in my add-on.
1. Can I do so, if I include a copy of the GPL license with the PHP library, and proper credit to the original author?
2. Can I make my add-on a "paid" add-on, or must it be "free"?
3. Are there any paid add-ons in the marketplace that include GPL libraries? How do they handle this?
I'm no lawyer, but if I read the licenses correctly it seems that GPL does not permit redistribution with proprietary programs, while GNU GPL does. Anybody know if that's correct? Is a paid C5 add-on considered a "proprietary" program? (You do have to pay for it, but once you pay you do have full access to the source code...)
Please share any advice or prior experience you have. Thanks!
Suppose I'm developing a C5 add-on, and I want to use a PHP library that's released under the GPL license in my add-on.
1. Can I do so, if I include a copy of the GPL license with the PHP library, and proper credit to the original author?
2. Can I make my add-on a "paid" add-on, or must it be "free"?
3. Are there any paid add-ons in the marketplace that include GPL libraries? How do they handle this?
I'm no lawyer, but if I read the licenses correctly it seems that GPL does not permit redistribution with proprietary programs, while GNU GPL does. Anybody know if that's correct? Is a paid C5 add-on considered a "proprietary" program? (You do have to pay for it, but once you pay you do have full access to the source code...)
Please share any advice or prior experience you have. Thanks!
Thanks, Franz. Just to clarify, you're saying that if my add-on includes a GPL library, then it must be released under the GPL itself? And the only way to make it a "paid" add-on is to charge for support, not for the add-on itself?
Yes and no.
Yes, if you include the GPL library, your add-on needs to be GPL too.
No, you can sell the add-on. Its just that there will be a link for folks to download it for free as well. What this means in the big picture is people who are buying from the in-site shopping experience in their dashboard, or just using project pages will download the add-on after purchasing it through the marketplace. They will be buying your add-on, and they will have access to your support area.
People who just download the add-on for free from the small link in your add-on area will not have access to the support area. Thus "think" of selling it as support - but it will work the same way.
Yes, if you include the GPL library, your add-on needs to be GPL too.
No, you can sell the add-on. Its just that there will be a link for folks to download it for free as well. What this means in the big picture is people who are buying from the in-site shopping experience in their dashboard, or just using project pages will download the add-on after purchasing it through the marketplace. They will be buying your add-on, and they will have access to your support area.
People who just download the add-on for free from the small link in your add-on area will not have access to the support area. Thus "think" of selling it as support - but it will work the same way.
2) Yes, your add-on can be paid. Just pick the GPL license when submitting it to the PRB. Your add-on will have a link in the blue box on the marketplace page to allow people to download it for free. You do not have to provide support for those people. Think of "selling" it as selling support.
3) Dunno, figure there might be - we designed the process to handle this type of thing.