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Sorry, but it's the GPL that prohibits GPL licensed software from being redistributed in the Apple appstore, not the other way around. The Apple appstore doesn

Sorry, but it's the GPL that prohibits GPL licensed software from being redistributed in the Apple appstore, not the other way around. The Apple appstore doesn't facilitate GPL licensed software, and neither does the Google Play store. They don't prevent GPL licensed software from being distributed on their stores either, the GPL software authors do. As an example of this, see VLC making it onto the Apple appstore unofficially for a time, before the VLC devs requested it be removed, as it was violating their license.

teddyh 7y ago
Don’t take my word for it; read the FSF directly: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store... The GPL has been in existence since long before the Apple app store, and the rules of the GPL are not meant to restrict appearances of GPLed programs in Apple’s or any similar app store; i.e. the FSF is not deliberately boycotting the Apple app store here. It is Apple, which, as part of their rules for all programs distributed in the app store, prescribes that the software may not be used in certain ways – including some ways which the GPL was explicitly made to allow end users to use the software in. Since the very point of the GPL is to allow end users to do these things, Apple is the one being restrictive here.
- oarsinsync 7y ago
  This is clearly very subjective and open to interpretation, because my reading of that very article shows it’s in agreement with my earlier post: > These rules are exactly the kind of "further restrictions" that are prohibited by the GPL I guess the middle ground is this line: > That's the problem in a nutshell: Apple's Terms of Service impose restrictive limits on use and distribution for any software distributed through the App Store, AND the GPL doesn't allow that. (emphasis mine) Note that BSD licensed code is perfectly fine on the Appstore, because the BSD license is a permissive license.
- scarface74 7y ago
  It can just as well be argued that the GPL is not allowing software to be used as “freely” as a more permissive license like BSD.

teddyh 7y ago

Don’t take my word for it; read the FSF directly: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store... The GPL has been in existence since long before the Apple app store, and the rules of the GPL are not meant to restrict appearances of GPLed programs in Apple’s or any similar app store; i.e. the FSF is not deliberately boycotting the Apple app store here. It is Apple, which, as part of their rules for all programs distributed in the app store, prescribes that the software may not be used in certain ways – including some ways which the GPL was explicitly made to allow end users to use the software in. Since the very point of the GPL is to allow end users to do these things, Apple is the one being restrictive here.

oarsinsync 7y ago
This is clearly very subjective and open to interpretation, because my reading of that very article shows it’s in agreement with my earlier post: > These rules are exactly the kind of "further restrictions" that are prohibited by the GPL I guess the middle ground is this line: > That's the problem in a nutshell: Apple's Terms of Service impose restrictive limits on use and distribution for any software distributed through the App Store, AND the GPL doesn't allow that. (emphasis mine) Note that BSD licensed code is perfectly fine on the Appstore, because the BSD license is a permissive license.
scarface74 7y ago
It can just as well be argued that the GPL is not allowing software to be used as “freely” as a more permissive license like BSD.