GPL
WORD PRESS 告 WIX (note2)
因:
Wix used Automattic’s GPL’d Rich Text Editor project in their app, then open sourced the modified and updated version (but not the complete app) on GitHub under the permissive MIT license.
- The GNU: General Public License (GNU GPL or GPL)
a widely used free software license, which guarantees end users the freedom to run, study, share and modify the software (note1)
The GPL is a copyleft license (a play on the word copyright), also called a viral license.
This means regardless of the amount of GPL’d components you use in your code, you have to release its source code, as well as the rights to modify and distribute the entire code.
Furthermore, according to the GPL family of licenses, you also need to release the source code under “the same GPL license" (hence the name viral license). (note2)
所以Wix 用了GPL的codes 到自己的產品裡, 在Git Hub 開放產品的改版,但卻掛MIT的license
要用 Open Source code 可以, 但用完也要開放code 給別人用, 這是GPL的精神.
because it includes GPL code and you distributed the app, the “entire" thing needs to be GPL.”
- 問題點:
how much of your software do you need to release as open source under the GPL license
The GPL v2: requires you to share the code of all ‘derivative work’.
- 問題點: ‘derivative work’ 的定義
(note1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License)
(note2: http://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/whitesource-blog/wordpress-wix-fiasco/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_term=blog-wordpress-wix-fiasco&utm_content=blog-wordpress-wix-fiasco&utm_campaign=pat-gr)
Joe 