Questions tagged [proprietary-code]
For questions about works whose authors retain the ability to control derivates or distribution as given to them by copyright law
146
questions
9
votes
3answers
4k views
Can I disregard GPL just because I use autoconf?
I found the following text in licenses to some software I am considering to use:
As a special exception to the GNU General Public License, if you
# distribute this file as part of a program that ...
-1
votes
0answers
37 views
Enforcing A Copyleft License Or Require Payment For Use In Proprietary Software [duplicate]
There are many software products that are made available under copyleft licenses, but are also available for use under proprietary licenses if purchased.
These pieces of software often have "...
12
votes
3answers
2k views
Can my proprietary app automatically download a GPL-licensed binary?
I'm developing a proprietary app that will mainly use a dynamically linked execute a GPL-licensed FFmpeg binary.
I'm wondering if I can design the app in a way that it downloads the binary dependency ...
1
vote
2answers
67 views
Using Conda's XZ package for proprietary use
I am currently packaging up my python software.
I listed down all the packages that it uses and found out that a package, which is called xz, uses multiple licenses (public domain, LGPLv2.1+, GPLv2+). ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Is a reimplementation of math or logic found in an existing BSL codebase a license violation? [duplicate]
A related question has been asked regarding the MIT license, but I would like clarification regarding the Business Source License(BSL). Would re-implementing the logic/math found in a BSL codebase ...
-2
votes
1answer
59 views
Android to Fully Libre (FOSS)
HI I found that an Android uses the Same Kernal of Linux same of (Linus Torvalds) which contains Non-free blobs (proprietary code) as per my research these blobs can be harmful as Linus Torvalds tells ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
Including design reference implementations with open source program
I am developing an open-source FPGA project that targets multiple FPGA development boards. The project itself is licensed MIT.
On one of the targets, the VGA-to-HDMI encoder chip included on the board ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
How do I pick the best suited license for my software?
I own a new software development company, and I developed some software that I want to sell in the future, but for now, I want to give it out free but still want my company accredited in some type of ...
2
votes
2answers
90 views
Is it possible to link an LGPL v2.1 software with a proprietary library?
If I understand correctly, the LGPL v2.1 (and the subsequent licenses) allow an user to link a proprietary program to the LGPL licensed library as long as the open source library can be modified and ...
1
vote
0answers
46 views
Does injected CSS code count as derivative work?
There is a GPL web app. I want to make style modifications to it by injecting CSS code. The injected code aims to change some styles, but not all. For example, it will completely change the style of ...
2
votes
0answers
50 views
Proprietary app injecting CSS into a remote self-hosted GPL web-app in WebView
I'm building a proprietary application that loads into its WebView a remote, self-hosted GPLv2 licensed web application.
I'm sure that loading a resource via WebView will not violate GPL (the web ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
can open source software be proprietary? if so, what examples exist?
quick question, i'm doing research into open source software and i was wondering if open source software be proprietary? if so, what examples exist? what examples exist of source code that is open ...
12
votes
1answer
672 views
Proprietary Software + GPL: A case study with OctaneRender and Blender
Background:
I currently stumbled across an interesting case of a combination between a proprietary software and a GPL software, which I am trying to understand: There is the GPL software Blender - a ...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
Documented protocol of proprietary software + plugin of GPL software
Please assume the following:
There is a GPL software (G), which provides API to write plugins to this software (GP).
There is a closed-source / proprietary software (P), which has an openly ...
0
votes
1answer
197 views
Do we have to choose the GNU LGPL v2.1 license libraries for our distribution?
Our situation - LGPLv2.1 Libraries = LGPL for whole work?
Our distribution Package contains libraries which are licensed GNU LGPLv2.1
jquery.form - dual licensed GNU-LGPL-2.1+ - MIT,
* ...
1
vote
0answers
17 views
clarify R licenses: machine learning models, developed with R in Azure, possible for commercial use?
i want to estimate machine learning models with R and i need to use it in a production environment, i'll work with Azure Datascience Virtual Machine or Azure Machine Learning.
If i use , for ex., ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
LGPL and different architectures
I am in the midst of writing software using LGPL libraries, which will be part of an image for a device. Am I obliged to provide object files for different (micro)architectures than the device the ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
Can I pack art assets from a leaked source code repository? [duplicate]
I am thinking about porting a commercial PlayStation game which had its entire development leaked. This game is SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge. The source code as well as all its development ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What happens if a company releases third-party confidential code as open source?
This is very similar to this question: What happens if stolen software is published as Open Source? – but it doesn't exactly answer my question. This is also a thought experiment with no real ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
Choosing the most restrictive open-source license
I am working on a not open source project. As I truly respect the ideas behind the free software movement, I would like to also make my own works open source whenever possible. However, I am not the ...
3
votes
2answers
128 views
Can Non GPL software use GPL code in virtual machine or interpreter
I hope this is the right place to ask these questions. If not please help me find a place so I can safely ask these questions without simply getting a off-topic label. I will describe two situations:
...
3
votes
2answers
369 views
How do you sell a hardware product that uses the linux kernel?
I would like to create a Linux based OS for a VR headset that I'm developing. From what I understand, the Linux kernel uses the GPL-2 license which allows for commercial use but it also requires you ...
2
votes
1answer
45 views
Free App and non free Pro app source code licensing model
I'm going to build an Android app under some open source license but I want to use this same app as a basis for a proprietary software in the future.
So I will have two softwares:
My Software
My ...
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Understanding GPL & LGPL: Free Software with zero-cost, proprietary libraries
Background:
This question is derived from a previous question.
I am writing a Blender add-on which enables the use of Blender with a piece of hardware (i.e., a lightfield display). Blender and the ...
1
vote
3answers
152 views
Understanding GPL: Blender Add-on + System Library
Basic Information
I am writing a Blender add-on which enables the use of Blender with a piece of hardware (i.e., a lightfield display). Blender and the use of the specific Python API, which is ...
2
votes
1answer
156 views
Is it possible to license that header file to LGPL but implementation to proprietary license
Suppose someone is writing a proprietary software that uses a shared or dynamic library that is licensed under the GNU LGPL license. If he wants to change the LGPL library code, he make some functions ...
3
votes
1answer
67 views
Can I use the "pro" features found in open source code if it's GPL 2?
I am looking at including a library from Github on my next project that has different tiers. It claims that the lowest free tier is licensed under GPL 2, however to use advanced functions you need to ...
2
votes
2answers
88 views
What is a good license model for a game that I want to both sell and show publicly?
I'm currently developing a game. I want to publish its code online (i.e. GitLab, GitHub, etc.) in order for people to review it, learn and get ideas from it. But I also want to be able to sell it at a ...
1
vote
2answers
263 views
Can my paid WordPress plugin have a proprietary license?
WordPress is licensed under (GPLv2 or later). WordPress states that all plugins hosted under the WordPress Plugin Directory must be licensed under GPL.
We have a Free version of our plugin that is ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
Linking GPL software with "indirection library" with both GPL-compatible and proprietary backends, in constrast with wrapper library
I'm about to publish a GPL3 piece of software I wrote. That software uses OpenCL, and in its normal use one typically links the software against the Khronos OpenCL ICD. The ICD lets the user then ...
4
votes
1answer
325 views
What kind of license is Redis' RSAL (Redis Source Available License)?
The name would suggest it's not FOSS, but source available, which is a pretty low bar.
But when I read about it, they seem to suggest that it's really only source available for specific use cases ...
5
votes
3answers
694 views
Do major electronic voting systems use closed-source software?
I have heard that some, if not all, widely used electronic voting systems (e.g., Diebold, Sequioa, Dominion) use closed-source software. If so, how can the public be sure that a closed system isn't ...
2
votes
1answer
97 views
Can I add a proprietary library to GPL software?
I'm considering developing a project based on a modified version of some GPLv3 code. But, I need to use some proprietary library. This is a for-profit endeavour, in which I plan to sell the modified ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
LGPLv2.1: Distributing dynamically linked executable without the LGPL library
I am developing a proprietary (non-open source) commercial application that depends (both directly and indirectly through direct dependencies) on some LGPLv2.1+ libraries (specifically some MinGW64 ...
0
votes
1answer
310 views
If closed source software is distributed along with open source software, will the resulting code still be open-source?
Suppose there is an open source project (a collection of open-source repositories) on GitHub. Can we include closed-source software in the same open-source repository?
(Specifically I'm referring to ...
4
votes
1answer
308 views
Is Google's Chrome web browser truly open source?
I have been trying to understand if Google's Chrome web browser is truly open source. Some people claim that it is, while others claim that it integrates binary blobs for which the source is ...
6
votes
1answer
218 views
How do products like MongoDB not violate the GPL licenses?
I'm quite confused with MongoDB's licensing model. MongoDB at its core is an open-source project, licensed under the SSPL which is a small modification of the AGPLv3 license. Then how does it release ...
15
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the correct term for software whose source code is available only to read?
The software is distributed under these terms:
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software&...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Selling copy of GPL v3 app under another license [duplicate]
I want to create a library, that can be used for free in any open-source project, so I want to publish it under terms of GNU GPL v3. But, also I want to sell it, so it could be used in proprietary ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
I want to build a new ISO based on official Ubuntu 18.04 ISO, plus some propietary software. What do I have to open-source to comply with GPL2?
What if I do not own the proprietary software but I have been given permission to distribute it (will being able to open-source the build automation help? This would mean only someone with the correct ...
3
votes
3answers
118 views
How to enforce CC-BY in data generated by a program, if I open-source that program as well?
I'm running a data journalism operation, and as part of our business, we generate a lot of datasets. We're fine with these datasets being used by just about everyone, as long as they give us credit. ...
4
votes
3answers
171 views
How to completely get rid of proprietary code in the library?
I made a small library which I decided to open-source under the Apache 2.0 License on Github.
Not long afterward I realized that some of the code in here makes use of proprietary information which ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Use of GPL software with proprietary network program
I am working on a distributed computing project. The client for this project uses Twisted (MIT licensed) to communicate with the server. The client will locally invoke a PARI/GP (GPL licensed) script ...
4
votes
2answers
90 views
Is Flameshot mislabeled on the Ubuntu Software Center?
Recently, I have seen Flameshot labeled as proprietary on the Ubuntu Software Center:
(german text, "Proprietär" means "proprietary")
Is Flameshot mislabeled on the Software Center, as it's official ...
13
votes
2answers
7k views
Can I sell a proprietary software with an LGPL library bundled along with it, without making my source code public?
I am making a commercial application for my own company.
I want to use PySide2 in it which comes under the LGPL license. I will be using PySide2 without any modification to it for designing the GUI.
...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Is it possible to have a proprietary commercial plug-in in a GPL licensed app?
We are developing an automatic machine learning software for researchers under a GPL license. This will allow them to use different ML algorithms on their data. Is it possible to offer an additional ...
10
votes
2answers
441 views
Is it legal to remove a dependency with a copyleft license from a proprietary project?
Imagine you have a proprietary project (non open source), and by mistake you added a dependency to a library with a strong copyleft license. You have already distributed your code. And you realize ...
3
votes
3answers
392 views
Licensing software that uses a proprietary library under GPL-3.0 without linking exceptions: what are the implications?
NOTE: Changed the person in example from "I/me" to "PersonXYZ"
Given, hypothetically:
PersonXYZ wrote some software (will refer to as SoftwareXYZ) that uses a proprietary library (will refer to as ...
3
votes
2answers
610 views
What permissions does LGPL-3.0 grant if the licensed work links against a proprietary library?
According to the FSF "The Lesser GPL permits use of the library in proprietary program".
Is this permission granted in cases where an LGPL-3.0 licensed work links against a proprietary library?
Both ...
-6
votes
1answer
92 views
Implications of powershell usage on Linux
Looking, in particular, at:
PowerShell 6.0 Linux Administration Cookbook Prashanth Jayaram, Ram
Iyer November 30, 2018 566 pages
I just want to go in eyes-open, knowing any pitfalls of the ...
