Does the GPLv2 preclude me from using KLone for my website?

Question

I recently discovered Klone. Being a C++ developer, I'm fascinated by the idea of getting to use C++ for my web development work (I know, I'm a glutton for punishment!)... Anyhow, it looks like the open source version of KLone is licensed under GPLv2... Normally, this would be fine, but since you're app is compiled and linked right into the server, it looks like KLone's license would also force me to open source the complete sources to any website I develop with it. The quote on their license page also leads me to this conclusion:

This license is for those who develop (and possibly distribute) Free Software and want to use KLone to build their GPL product. GPL imposes that all code that is linked to any GPL'd object file must be released under GPL. This means that the patches applied to KLone source base (if any) and server embedded content (in the form of generated C files) must be provided on request as stated by GPL v2 license.

First, is my read of this correct? If so, does anyone know of any similar open source project with a less restrictive license?

Answer 1

I think the answer on the GPL version: Yes, if you are making a non-GPL compatible open source product, they are expressly asking that you not use the source code version of klone. That is sort of the point of the GPL. You can't use the source if you don't open up your source.

As to the question of does the GPL cover linked software... that is way over my non-legal head, but there are plenty of people that have sounded in on it, just google.

... BUT ... all is not lost:

From their site license page

For those whose cannot use GPL license in their product because of third party license restrictions, or those who prefer not to disclose the source code of their product, the KLone Commercial License can be used instead of GPL.

KLone Commercial License grants permission to distribute or embed binary-only versions of KLone-based applications allowing the development, distribution and sale of proprietary software.

Honestly, I'd contact them if you had questions. It sounds like they are pretty amicable to commercial use of klone, as long as you follow their licensing guidelines. Certainly the GPL route is out (as is all other GPL code that you would use from the web and distribute, for sale or otherwise).

Answer 2

I'm not a lawyer, but the following is my understanding. As always, you're really better off consulting someone who is.

Technically, the GPL (v2 at least) only requires you to make the source code available to the people you distribute the software to. If you're writing code to drive a website, usually you're not actually distributing that code, just running it on your server, and user's of the website only ever get the output from the program, not the program itself. This doesn't trigger the distribution clause of the GPLv2, and so there's no need to disclose your source code.