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How could they enforce the GPL against a company offering Wordpress as a SaaS application? This Wix app is different since it's a mobile app I believe. Unless W

How could they enforce the GPL against a company offering Wordpress as a SaaS application? This Wix app is different since it's a mobile app I believe. Unless WordPress uses a version of GPL that accounts for SaaS they couldn't do much about anything but someone offering on-prem solutions or actual apps right?

adenadel 10y ago
They could switch to the AGPL https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-affero-gpl.en.html https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-affero-gpl.en.html
delinka 10y ago
You are correct. Since WP is GPLv2, there's nothing to prevent a hosting provide installing WP, making changes, and charging for the 'enhanced' service and keeping the code for themselves, because the hosted app isn't being 'distributed' to end users. (There may indeed be some nuance if part of WP is client-side JavaScript...) And this is exactly the case that Affero GPL was written for. (Affero is a modification to GPLv3.)
- heroh 10y ago
  any recommended resources to learn more about licenses, differences and when to consider what?
  - RodericDay 10y ago
    I'd like to know what is the most Stallmanite license out there. The kind that corporate lawyers would like to stay far away from, that forces downstream projects to be as open as the source.
    - delinka 10y ago
      Affero GPL. If the public can touch the product or service, you have to provide the source. My company avoids incorporating any GPL-licensed libraries, even those with linking exceptions.
  - delinka 10y ago
    The Open Source Initiative[1] is a good place to start. 1 - https://opensource.org/ https://opensource.org/
  - teddyh 10y ago
    http://www.fsf.org/licensing/ http://www.fsf.org/licensing/
  - err4nt 10y ago
    While I don't know if this site offers advice, when I need a quick summary that explains the license the first place I check is https://tldrlegal.com https://tldrlegal.com
eikenberry 10y ago
Does wordpress use much javascript now? IANAL, but if so, downloading it could count as distributing the under the GPL.

adenadel 10y ago

They could switch to the AGPL https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-affero-gpl.en.html https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-affero-gpl.en.html

delinka 10y ago

You are correct. Since WP is GPLv2, there's nothing to prevent a hosting provide installing WP, making changes, and charging for the 'enhanced' service and keeping the code for themselves, because the hosted app isn't being 'distributed' to end users. (There may indeed be some nuance if part of WP is client-side JavaScript...) And this is exactly the case that Affero GPL was written for. (Affero is a modification to GPLv3.)

heroh 10y ago
any recommended resources to learn more about licenses, differences and when to consider what?
- RodericDay 10y ago
  I'd like to know what is the most Stallmanite license out there. The kind that corporate lawyers would like to stay far away from, that forces downstream projects to be as open as the source.
  - delinka 10y ago
    Affero GPL. If the public can touch the product or service, you have to provide the source. My company avoids incorporating any GPL-licensed libraries, even those with linking exceptions.
- delinka 10y ago
  The Open Source Initiative[1] is a good place to start. 1 - https://opensource.org/ https://opensource.org/
- teddyh 10y ago
  http://www.fsf.org/licensing/ http://www.fsf.org/licensing/
- err4nt 10y ago
  While I don't know if this site offers advice, when I need a quick summary that explains the license the first place I check is https://tldrlegal.com https://tldrlegal.com

eikenberry 10y ago

Does wordpress use much javascript now? IANAL, but if so, downloading it could count as distributing the under the GPL.