I'd like to Open Source my app -- advice?

modify the GPL 2/2 licenses to say what you want…there is no reason you can’t do this…

or write you own GPL

  1. share code
  2. if you host this app as a service, you MUST share code,

modify the GPL 2/2 licenses to say what you want...there is no reason you can't do this...

You cannot do this (the GPL explicitly forbids it), and you should not do this (a + to standard licenses).

Use the Affero GPL, this license requires one to make the code available to the people that can use it through a network...

The LogiLogi project also uses this license.

(and yes I too do regret that GPLv3 is not going to be the copyleft- license of the web...)

greetings,

Wybo

If you are the creator of the original work, you can and are completely within your right as a creator to do whatever you want with your creation.

That being said, if you want to use the GPL as a foundation, and add customized limitations to it for particular use (non-asp) or commercial license caveats, etc. You are entirely authorized.

The only time you are unable to modify the GPL is if you inherited it from another creator/author. When this happens, you are stuck with what you got. If you want to make customizations, you must first extract yours to be independent of the original work, then you can license that individually. There are more caveats to this, but that doesn't sound even close to what you intent is anyways.

Some of the nicer licenses I have seen are the dual sorts. Something of a MySQL style offering, where you do both a commercial license and a open source license.

This allows you to help the non-profits and non-commercial entities out there as well as pleasing those who want the commercial elements of support, assurance of continued development and enhancements, etc.

I am bipolar when it comes to this licensing. Some days I completely agree with it, other days when I rehash the concept my gut goes into knots.

This is likely due to my heart wanting to go pure open source and trust in man kind to donate and give back, but my mind knowing that it simply wont pay the bills and people just aren't as giving as I hope so as to sustain myself with food and shelter.

It's a mixed bag, but find out what your goals are. Ruby on Rails has licened theirs as open as it gets under the MIT and has brought major business INDIRECTLY to their products. While MySQL has the dual license and directly pays their bills while still offering a free alternative to the world.

Ideals are nice, but reality needs to be included in your choice.

But overall, open source is a VERY good thing no matter how you slice it. Just how much open source you decide to slice off is a question that only a bit of personal reflection will answer for you.

Nathaniel.

Oh and here is a reference for Wybo's claim that you can't modify the GPL.

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License.

So to reiterate, if you inherited the license, you can't impose any further restrictions. If you created it, you can make whatever license you want. If you are the original creator, surely you can plant whatever licensing seed you like.

Nathaniel.

So to reiterate, if you inherited the license, you can't impose any further restrictions. If you created it, you can make whatever license you want. If you are the original creator, surely you can plant whatever licensing seed you like.

At the top of the GPL:

Wybo Wiersma wrote:

So to reiterate, if you inherited the license, you can't impose any further restrictions. If you created it, you can make whatever license you want. If you are the original creator, surely you can plant whatever licensing seed you like.      At the top of the GPL:

---

Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA

Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

It just sounds funny :slight_smile:

It's fine to do what you like my code but get your hands off my license - sounds a bit ironic :stuck_out_tongue: but I see the point :slight_smile:

Cheers Mohit.

Here is a more detailed response of the FSF to the: can I change the license question:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCModifyGPL

In short: you can as long as you don't call it anything GPL-like and if you don't mention GNU etc. But it is strongly discouraged...

Wybo