Open Source

Hi,
The GNU General Public License (GPL) is a widely-used open-source license that requires anyone who distributes software that uses GPL-licensed code to make the source code for their software available under the same GPL license. This means that if you use WordPress code in your super app, you must also release the source code for your super app under the GPL license.

However, the GPL only applies to the code licensed under the GPL. If you have developed your code for your super app that is not based on WordPress, you are free to license that code however you wish, as long as you do not incorporate any GPL-licensed code into it. You could, for example, create a proprietary license for your code or release it under a different open-source license.

It’s important to note that the GPL applies to software distribution, not its use. This means that you are free to use WordPress and other GPL-licensed software in your super app without having to release the source code for your app, as long as you are not distributing it. If you plan to distribute your super app, either commercially or non-commercially, you must comply with the GPL’s requirements.

Understanding the GPL is essential for anyone who is developing software that uses open-source code. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Hi there! So per your meaning, if I paste the super app code into the WordPress page, and then make it available for everyone to use it, I still needed to license the super app code in GPL, right? The super app isn’t based in WordPress, just the source code pasted into the WordPress page and user access the WordPress page with the super app since the source code is in the page, does that mean I needed to follow GPL? The super app code is totally made by me with no GPL code included.

I plan to make my super app and the WordPress site available to everyone, so does it mean I needed to comply with GPL requirement?

Hi @jsttan
If you are pasting your super app code into a WordPress page and making it available for others to use and distributing the WordPress site with the super app code included, you will need to comply with the GPL. This is because the GPL requires that any software distributed along with GPL-licensed software must also be released under the GPL.

Even though your super app code is not based on WordPress and does not include any GPL-licensed code, by distributing it along with a WordPress site, you are effectively creating a derivative work of WordPress, and the GPL requires that derivative works be licensed under the GPL as well.

If you want to distribute your super app without complying with the GPL, you will need to find a way to distribute it separately from the WordPress site. For example, you could make the super app available for download from a separate website or offer it as a standalone application that is not tied to the WordPress site.

It’s important to note that the GPL only applies to software distribution, not its use. This means you are free to use WordPress and other GPL-licensed software in your projects as long as you are not distributing the resulting software to others. If you plan to distribute your software commercially or non-commercially, you must comply with the GPL’s requirements.

So per my understanding, by distributing the super app (even if it isn’t based in WordPress and does not include any GPL-licensed code) with the WordPress site by making it available online as a website, I needed to comply with GPL requirements. Is my understanding correct?

Also by GPL license, does that mean I could license it in AGPL 3.0 too? Or require GPL 2.0 only? Also is it possible to switch back to non-GPL license if I do not use WordPress anymore in the future?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by jsttan.

Hi @jsttan
Yes, you will need to comply with the GPL if you are distributing your super app and a WordPress site by making it available online as a website. This is because the GPL requires that any software distributed along with GPL-licensed software must also be released under the GPL.

It is possible to release your software under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) instead of the GPL. The AGPL is similar to the GPL but is designed specifically for software accessed over a network, such as a web application. Like the GPL, the AGPL requires that any software distributed along with AGPL-licensed software must also be released under the AGPL.

You can switch back to a non-GPL license anytime by removing any GPL-licensed code from your software and replacing it with code licensed under a different license. However, if you have previously distributed your software under the GPL, you will need to inform your users of the change and provide them with a copy of the new license.

It’s important to note that once software has been released under the GPL or any other open-source license, it cannot be “undone.” The software will always remain open source, and anyone who receives a copy of it will have the right to use, modify, and distribute it according to the license terms. This is one of the key features of open-source licenses, and it is designed to ensure that the software remains freely available to all users.

Oh ok I understood. Oh ok that good since if I was going to make it open source, I will sure use AGPL.

Ok I understood, since I switched license before too. I will put up a notice on top of the new site stating it. However I mostly take down the previous release and replace it with the new version, so if I make a new site that aren’t WordPress, could I take down the website but still providing the source code in Github public repository?

Hi @jsttan
Yes, if you switch to a new license for your software and make a new release, it is generally a good idea to inform your users of the change and provide them with a copy of the new license. You can include a notice at the top of your website, in your software’s documentation, or by providing a link to the new license.

If you replace your previous release with a new version licensed under a different license, you will still need to make the source code in the prior release available to your users. This is because open-source licenses, including the GPL and the AGPL, are irrevocable and perpetual. Once the software has been released under an open-source license, the rights granted by the license cannot be taken away.

If you want to make the source code for a previous release available to your users, you can host it on a public repository such as GitHub. This will allow your users to access the source code for the previous release, even if you have taken down the website or removed the software from distribution.

It’s important to note that if you have previously distributed your software under the GPL or the AGPL, you will need to continue complying with the terms of those licenses, even if you take down the website or remove the software from distribution. This means that you will need to make the source code for the software available to your users, and you will need to allow them to modify and distribute the software according to the license terms.

Ok understood. Thanks for the help! Nice to meet you anyway.

Glad to hear that! It’s a pleasure to e-meet you, @jsttan. Let’s mark this topic as resolved so that no one else has to spend their valuable time here.

Ok sure thing. Maybe we could communicate in other platforms in the future if you like.

Absolutely. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. I would be delighted to assist you in the future. Thank you, @jsttan