In the context of GPL, is a public facing website considered "End User" or "Distribution"

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+1 Q:

In the context of GPL, is a public facing website considered "End User" or "Distribution"

I am considering using db4o as the data store on a public facing website. The question comes with licensing...

My understanding is that if you are an "end user" you can freely use the code. Is a website end user or distribution?

MySQL is licensed under GPLv2 and people use it all the time as a backend data store.

Any lawyers out there with any option. I will even settle for programmers who have played an lawyer on television :)

Thanks!

+3 A:

IANAL but I've read a lot about this sort of issues...

If you don't distribute your application in any way, you are merely an end-user of it, so it's okay to use it as a backend data store.

This is in fact the main difference between the GPL and the AGPL.

JanC 2010-08-23 16:20:40

Thanks for the quick response!

Norge 2010-08-23 16:30:55

I think it is interesting that many companies that dual license under GPL have their own interpretations. http://www.db4o.com/about/company/legalpolicies/gplinterpretation.aspx. Do any of the following 4 points make a difference to your answer, again in the context of a public facing website? * You compile your software against the db4o software; * Your software contains specific references to the db4o software; * Your software requires the db4o software to work; or * Your software uses the proprietary API to the db4o software.

Norge 2010-08-23 16:34:25

They also continue after that with: "In all of these situations, **if you distribute or publish your software**, you will have to make available source code for your software, in addition to meeting other GPL requirements for your software." (emphasis added by me). So, as long as you don't distribute *your* software (e.g. sell or rent or give it to other companies), you don't have to distribute your source code etc.

JanC 2010-08-25 07:27:58

ansaurus

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In the context of GPL, is a public facing website considered "End User" or "Distribution"

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