By publishing this license, the fsf aims to foster user and development communities around networkoriented free software. What is the difference between gpl, agpl and lgpl licenses. Mar 29, 2007 so weve come up with a better solution. The gnu affero general public license gnu agpl is a modified version of version 3 of the regular gnu gpl. Earlier, when gpl was v2, there was talk of putting an anti saas clause into v3, but later the affero gpl was created for that purpose. The agpl is the closest thing possible to a proprietary software. Most open source licenses have no conditions for saas use. New cloud applications drive popularity of the agpl. How cloud computing and software as a service are affecting licenses like gpl. Media in category free software under the agpl the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. Dont believe the hype, agpl open source licensing is. Fsf approves affero gpl for saas apps business ecommerce.
Saas thankfully, the agpl is working exactly as designed. We recommend that people consider using the gnu agpl for any software. For server side code in an saas or cloud product, the only major open source license you need pay much attention to is affero gpl. The affero gpl is designed to close the socalled application service provider loophole in the gpl, which lets asps use gpl code without distributing their changes back to the open source. Free software foundation announces support of the affero general public license, the first copyleft license for web services press release. For distributed elements of saas and cloud systems like javascript or distributed software including mobile apps and beta tests, you can use software under permissive licenses, but you will need to be especially careful before using.
In 2007, the gnu affero gpl was published by the free software foundation. The saas developers ubershort guide to using open source projects. The gnu affero general public license is based on the gnu gpl, but has an additional term to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a network to receive the source for that program. The free software foundation fsf on monday published the gnu affero general public license version 3 gnu agplv3, a version of the gnu gplv3 designed specifically for networkoriented free software. Cloud computing saas licenses is agpl the solution. At a regular closedsource software company, you cant include any software in your products that you get from the web which carries the gpl gnu public license, because this license requires all derived works to also use the gpl and be open source.
The article describes how during the gpl v3 discussions, there was a move to close the saas loophole by including some of the provisions of the affero general public license or agpl. Gnu affero general public license gnu project free. The gnu affero general public license is a modified version of the ordinary gnu gpl version 3. When the reforged gnu general public license, version 3 gplv3 was finalized and released to an expectant public on june 29, 2007, the most important decision may have been one postponed. Open source came before, if not provided a platform for, software as a service. We advise clients on the legal impact of certain open source licenses on cloud saas deployments. Reading black duck softwares newest paean to the affero general public license. Open source licenses have a big loophole for the most common method of software distribution today. However, not being a lawyer, and actually not having read the whole license, i cant understand what exactly you can do freely and. The gnu affero general public license 3 agpl is a special license in the family of open source licenses, creating risks and opportunities that do not exist with most other open source licenses. Affero, a private company in san francisco, had created a license based on version two of the gnu gpl to accommodate saas.
The gnu affero general public license is designed specifically to ensure that, in such cases, the modified source code becomes available to the community. After all, the agpl must be the open source gift that keeps on giving to a company that makes money by first convincing customers that open source is risky and then selling them the way to. The agplv3 is based on version 3 of the gpl but includes an additional terms to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a network to receive the source code for that program. Mar 31, 2011 the affero gpl is designed to close the socalled application service provider loophole in the gpl, which lets asps use gpl code without distributing their changes back to the open source community. Dont believe the hype, agpl open source licensing is toxic.
Open source software rules for startups, part ii lot. Fsf approves affero gpl for saas apps business linuxinsider. In the article, analyst laura didio points out how the new gpl reflects a growing trend toward saas. Open source licensing for software as a service ross. The agpl affero general public license continues to gain in popularity. The new gpl is based on the gnu gplv3 but includes terms to let users access source code for software accessed over a network. Both licenses have the same copyleft scope, but materially differ in one important way. In 2007, the gnu affero gpl was published by the free software foundation and was based on gnu gpl version 3. In this case, and for all licenses, as long as the code is used internally, nothing is distributed. Gplv3, software as a service and version 2 of the affero gpl. Nov 20, 2007 affero gpl made for software as a service.
This mistakenly causes some people to think the use of open source software in the cloud or a software asaservice saas deployment is free of risk. The affero general public license affero gpl and informally affero license is a free software license. If you are interested, you can read the complete essay its really not that long. It was created to overcome the socalled application service provider loophole asp loophole in the regular gnu gpl, which does not address this issue for asps that offer software asaservice saas. Gpl, also known as copyleft, grants permission to reuse or modify the source code to make derivative works, but if you distribute your program to others, it requires you to license your.
Are you defending agpl and saying that proprietary saas software shouldnt use gpl code. The gnu affero gpl does not address the problem of service as a software substitute saass. Agpl contains an additional clause that treats saas remote network interaction like distribution, for purposes of invoking the copyleft conditions. Based on the gnu gpl version 2, version 1 of the affero gpl was published in 2002 by affero, inc. The gnu affero general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works, specifically designed to ensure cooperation with the community in the case of network server software. The first version of the affero general public license agplv1, was published by affero, inc. The gnu general public license permits making a modified version and letting the public access it on a server without ever releasing its source code to the public. By providing for situations in which software is accessible for use over a network, the new license reflects the growing trend toward software as a service saas. In other words, if the gnu affero gpl applies, saas customers are entitled to the applications source code, even if they cannot require saas providers to make changes to it.
Projeqtor free project management software explanation. Why the gnu affero gpl gnu project free software foundation. Jul 12, 2007 the article describes how during the gpl v3 discussions, there was a move to close the saas loophole by including some of the provisions of the affero general public license or agpl. The gnu affero general public license3 agpl is a special license in the family of open source licenses, creating risks and opportunities that do not exist with most other open source licenses. The free software foundation on monday published the gnu affero general public license version 3, a version of the gnu gplv3 designed specifically for networkoriented free software. Were going to write a new license, version 2 of the affero gpl, that solves this problem in a more general way and doesnt dictate technology. Gplv3 and software as a service by brett smith contributions published on mar 29, 2007 09. As the software industry increasingly moves to a software as a service saas model, fabrizio capobianco of funambol writes, the licenses closing of. What you have to watch out for are libraries that have an agpl affero gpl licence. The alternative was called affero gpl, based on a prior and nonstandard open source license written by affero that spearheaded this new licensing condition. Tim oreilly addresses this while making yet another argument for. Effects of cloud computing on opensource compliance. The gnu affero general public license is a free, copyleft license. The gnu affero general public license is a free, copyleft license published by the free software foundation in november 2007, and based on the gnu general public license, version 3 and the affero.
The gnu affero general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works, specifically designed to ensure cooperation with the community in the case of network. However, not being a lawyer, and actually not having read the whole license, i cant understand what exactly you can do freely and what. Saass means that users use someone elses web server to do their own computing. Gpl is the abbreviation for gnu general public license. Opensource battle and the rise of permissive and restrictive licenses. Rstudio is available under the gnu affero general public license v3. Jul 11, 20 however, the proliferation of cloudbased saas solutions threatened to destabilize the gpl model by creating an environment in which for the first time software was made available to users without being distributed. The original gpl treats software as a service as a private use of software, which means users could keep their changes private as well, yankee group analyst laura didio told. Jun 24, 2008 open source, gpl and saas one of them is the ability to make good use of gpled software.
On its web site, affero said it wrote its own license since it didnt. Definition of gnu affero general public license pcmag. With the third iteration of the most popular open source license, the free software foundation tackled weighty questions relating to software patents, license compatibility. The free software foundation has published a new opensource software license aimed at developers whose code is used for software asaservice saas applications. Diaspora, the hottest new open source project, is licensed under the gnu affero general public license or agpl. The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works. The gnu affero general public license is an open source license that requires that source code is made available to any user of the software that accesses it over a network. Free software foundation releases gnu affero general public. Affero gpl finally closes the saas loophole who cares.
The new version of the gnu affero general public license has been published by the free software foundation, based upon the existing gnu gplv3 license but with one important difference. For a significant period of time after the introduction of this license in late 2007,4. The only major threat to open source software license models like the gpl is the spread of cloud computing and software as a service saas business models. Agpl is a fairly new license that was meant to go gpl overnetworks. Most open source licensesother than the affero gplhave no conditions for softwareasaservice saas.
The affero gpl includes a provision that enables developers to download the source code. As far as the regular gpl and lgpl are concerned, providing access to use your software over a network like in saas is not considered distribution. The emergence of cloud computing and its impact on opensource compliance has reignited the historical battle between proprietary and opensource software. Using full gpl libraries in software as a service saas. However, agpl affero gnu public license and gpl gnu public. In the absence of distribution, a user is merely using the software, and. Its not surprising that companies would choose the agpl to control their code. Fsf approves affero gpl for saas apps the free software foundation fsf on monday published the gnu affero general public license version 3 gnu agplv3, a version of the gnu gplv3 designed. The free software foundation has launched a licence designed for a situation the regular gpl doesnt address.
Agpl contains an additional clause that treats saas. Agpl is a fairly new license that was meant to go gplovernetworks. Smith, brett march 29, 2007, gplv3 and software as a service also includes info on version 2 of the affero gpl. Free software foundation releases a variation of the gpl that brings its reciprocity obligations to software running as an online service. While there are 10 pages dealing with everything from patents to liability, largely legacy from the original gpl that was designed for installed, perpetual license software, there is fully one sentence that attempts to deal with what is clearly the biggest disruption to the software industry since the personal computer. The quietly accelerating adoption of the agpl synopsys. Saas and cloud systems all distribute some software. Gnu affero general public license wikipedia, a enciclopedia. Agpl is the abbreviation for gnu affero general public license. I am aware that the affero gpl does require this and was specifically created to close the loophole wherein you could use opensource libraries in a web app and never have to release your own source. Affero developed the agpl to close the socalled asp loophole that allowed companies to make gpl software functionality available over a network without having to release the source code because the gpl source code release requirements only apply to software that is distributed, but not software. Nov 19, 2007 free software foundation releases gnu affero general public license version 3 by brett smith contributions published on nov 19, 2007 10. Sep 05, 2017 dont believe the hype, agpl open source licensing is toxic and unpopular.
Gplv3 licensing and software asaservice web apps duplicate ask question. By g0d4 floss, philosophy add comments it is supported by many that the agpl license for network services which run in a cloud brings back the. Since gpl requires providing access to source code, and agplv3 section is an additional condition specifically added to plug the loophole in saas like software, does not it imply that agplv3 also requires providing source code access, irrespective of whether it is modified or not. This means that there is no problem with using l gpl libraries in a closedsource saas project. Where the gpl general public license treats that situation as a private use of software, permitting the user to keep any changes private, the affero gpl lets programmers include a. Agplv3 source redistribution open source stack exchange. Using gpl software to provide saas, therefore, is not considered distribution or conveying under either version of gpl. See gnu general public license and free software foundation. Fsf finalizes gplbased license for web services infoworld. Many open source software oss licenses grant broad rights to use the oss. The cloud, saas, source code escrow, and the affero gpl when making large deployments of commercial software, it is not uncommon for companies to force the suppliers to place the source code of that software.
The saas loophole in gpl open source licenses whitesource. The gnu affero general public license version 3 agplv3 is a copyleft license nearly identical to the gplv3. With the third iteration of the most popular open source license, the free software foundation tackled weighty questions relating to software. If you have feedback on this document, or any oss watch activity, please send it to. Both the ordinary gnu gpl, version 3, and the gnu affero gpl have text allowing you to link together modules under these two licenses in one program. Jan 16, 2011 the cloud, saas, source code escrow, and the affero gpl when making large deployments of commercial software, it is not uncommon for companies to force the suppliers to place the source code of that software into escrow.
Originally designed as a way to make software more free than gpl by forcing availability of agplbased software driving saas services which the gpl could not prevent, since it is about. Section of the gnus agpl closed the gpl saas loophole by. You may have already heard of this open source license, but if not, here are a few things every saas company needs to know about the afferro gpl or agpl at least from the perspective of an open source attorney. The agpl v3 is an opensource license that guarantees the freedom to share and change the software, and to make sure it remains free software. In other words, if the gnu affero gpl applies, saas customers are entitled to the applications source code, even if they cannot require saas. The free software foundation has approved the affero gpl for software as a service applications, reports e commerce news. The cloud, saas, source code escrow, and the affero gpl. Effects of cloud computing on opensource compliance linux. Gplv3 and software as a service free software foundation.