From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: bernd@petrovitsch.priv.at (Bernd Petrovitsch) Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:09:52 +0100 Subject: [OT] Can a commercial company use software with GPLv2 for free? In-Reply-To: References: <1353014816.22416.93.camel@thorin> Message-ID: <1353067796.22416.134.camel@thorin> To: kernelnewbies@lists.kernelnewbies.org List-Id: kernelnewbies.lists.kernelnewbies.org Hi! On Don, 2012-11-15 at 23:34 +0200, Mohammed Gamal wrote: [...] > It also depends on what you mean by 'use'. If it is 'using' the GPLv2 Yes - and "use" can mean a lot in that context: From pure in-house usage (e.g. a CVS server used for a proprietary product) over providing CVS repos to the outside (e.g. some hypothetical company which just sells CVS repo access and support) - with or without patching it - up to (re-)using sourcecode of it (or the complete sourcecode) in some other own product. [ List may not be complete;-) ] So without exact knowing, what they do with it (and what not) in what way, one cannot write more specific hints than - basically - "follow the rules of the license". GPLv2 is actually short and simple enough to be readable and understandable by not-lawyers. There are books providing more explanation and - of course - the Internet is full of discussions about this ..... [ Full quote deleted ] Bernd -- Bernd Petrovitsch Email : bernd at petrovitsch.priv.at LUGA : http://www.luga.at