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
131
questions
1
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0answers
11 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
33 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
39 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 ...
7
votes
5answers
2k 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
56 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:
...
2
votes
2answers
61 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
36 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
86 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
80 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
64 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
57 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
66 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
90 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
67 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
221 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 ...
4
votes
3answers
574 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
66 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
57 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
212 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
150 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
137 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
39 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
104 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
147 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
45 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
80 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
6k 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
32 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
388 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
306 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
448 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
73 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
Can I sell closed source plugins that interface with a GPL v2 software which is open sourced? [duplicate]
Basically, I have an idea for some software based on an Open Sourced application.
If I was to build an application based off of that, and sell my plugins, would this be a breach of terms? This is the ...
4
votes
1answer
146 views
Can a GPL-licensed library be used in private development builds of a proprietary application?
I'm considering using this GPL-3.0-licensed library as a development aid in a game. Development builds that include this library (and other unrelated tools) would be used by myself and any parties ...
5
votes
1answer
116 views
Can I release an Excel Workbook with VBA code under the GPL v3?
This is my first foray into the open source world. I've got a Microsoft Excel workbook that I have some custom VBA modules in that I want to distribute under the GPL v3. I can't find much discussion ...
7
votes
1answer
218 views
GPL Application linked to a LGPL library loading proprietary-plugins
This is a bit similar to what asked in this question, unless that here the case is that the application only directly loads LGPL code, and this one then may dlopen a proprietary lib, so:
GPL Program ...
3
votes
1answer
156 views
Does using libraries under LGPL in my product limit my choice on how to license it?
I am developing a product that links to a number of LGPL (or compatible) licensed libraries.
The product itself is a creator tool for intellectual property work of its users. The LGPL libraries are ...
-3
votes
2answers
98 views
What happens when I use LGPL Qt 5 toolkit to link statically for a closed source (proprietary) application?
I come from a country "ALGERIA" where nobody buys a software license even the government, except fore rare cases where the government institution is very sensitive, other governmental institutions ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
What are good arguments against my university teacher's justification, which is that the softwares taught are the industry standards?
I will have the chance to take part in a meeting with the whole department of my university program (translation degree) and I would like to address what I believe to be a major problem, namely the ...
2
votes
1answer
127 views
Why doesn't Microsoft open-source the existing Edge browser?
Microsoft will soon make Edge a Chromium-based (i.e. WebKit) browser. This is good for Microsoft and the WebKit ecosystem, but not necessarily good for the web as a whole (since this further allows ...
5
votes
1answer
219 views
GPL Application <-> LGPL Plugin <-> Properietary code
I would like to explicitly consider possibility of having either of
Fig.1:
(1-A) A GPL application with dlopen-based plugin system.
(1-B) LGPL plugin for application (1-A), that is linked to (1-C)
(...
0
votes
1answer
576 views
Push notifications for Android 8 open source app
I am developing an open source Android app that has push notifications.
If I understand https://developer.android.com/about/versions/oreo/background#services correctly, Android 8 forces me to use ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Can I develop a front-end under a different license than the GPL-license CLI application?
I want to develop and distribute a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for an existing command-line tool (LibLouis).
I want to do so using .NET WPF or Windows Forms, but the library of Liblouis is written ...
20
votes
1answer
3k views
Difference between MongoDB SSPL and GNU AGPL
I'm trying to understand the difference between the SSPL and the GNU AGPL license, after reading the terms of SSPL.
The 13th clause of the license states the following:
If you make the ...
3
votes
2answers
525 views
Can a closed-source software be free
I saw some closed-source software (for Windows), which license explicitly allows to do everything with it, including disassembling, decompiling and modification, but no source is distributed, though ...
14
votes
4answers
3k views
When distributing a Linux kernel driver as source code, what's the difference between Proprietary and GPL license?
The company I work for is selling PCIe cards. I'm writing the Linux driver for it as a Linux kernel module.
When selling these PCIe cards, we give along the Linux kernel driver as source code. ...
3
votes
2answers
593 views
Can I publish only select code under GPLv3 from a private project?
So my team is planning to go open source with a project that has been in development together with an industry partner for some time now. We're not sure about the licensing yet, but GPLv3 looks ...
