1 Topic by mdn

  • mdn
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  • Registered: 2009-11-17
  • Posts: 3

Topic: License issues

Hi,

Please could somebody clarify - is it possible that PunBB (1.2.11-1.2.20) has been released to somebody with non GPLv2 license?

So briefly I want to ask - if one server application uses modified PunBB (1.2.11 with partially applied patches to 1.2.20 or newer) - does it mean that it is originally PunBB with GPLv2? Or is it possible that it is 'private' (or commercial) version under other license, not GNU Public License?

I tried to investigate this question - and I do not see anything related to this issue, please take my apologies if I missed something.

Any link or an information will be very helpful.

Thank you.

2 Reply by Parpalak (edited by Parpalak 2009-11-17 13:54)

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 713

Re: License issues

If this is a single installation on your server, you can do everything you want.

But if you want to distribute a software that includes PunBB code, you have to release it under GPL license. If you want, I can ask about a commercial license.

EDIT: Please, describe what exactly you want to do with the PunBB code.

PunBB team intentions, personal tasks.

Parpalak's Website

3 Reply by mdn (edited by mdn 2009-11-17 15:32)

  • mdn
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Re: License issues

Parpalak wrote:

But if you want to distribute a software that includes PunBB code, you have to release it under GPL license. If you want, I can ask about a commercial license.

Ok if commercial license is available - please could you send me a link to it.

4 Reply by PunBB1.2 (edited by PunBB1.2 2009-11-18 09:04)

  • Registered: 2009-11-14
  • Posts: 3

Re: License issues

Parpalak, a little offtop. If I wish use the ./include/dblayer/mysql.php in my open-source project, I must leave a comments in it's, that this code in base is from the PunBB project, and that's all?

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 713

Re: License issues

mdn wrote:

Ok if commercial license is available - please could you send me a link to it.

There is no explicit commercial license. But if we knew what you want to do with the PunBB code we could offer such a license. Please, send me a PM or email with the description of your project (or how you want to use the PunBB code).

PunBB1.2 wrote:

If I wish use the ./include/dblayer/mysql.php in my open-source project, I must leave a comments in it's, that this code in base is from the PunBB project, and that's all?

Yes. And the license of your project is to be GPL.

PunBB team intentions, personal tasks.

Parpalak's Website

6 Reply by mdn

  • mdn
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Re: License issues

Parpalak wrote:

There is no explicit commercial license. But if we knew what you want to do with the PunBB code we could offer such a license. Please, send me a PM or email with the description of your project (or how you want to use the PunBB code).

I do not want to use PunBB code.
I have some project's sources where PunBB is used as a forum base (avatars/authenticate module is rewritten at least) and I want to check is GPL license of PunBB enough to be sure that full sources are GPLed (there is no any other license info except PunBB part).

So as I understand by other legal checks - it has been used under usual GPL.

Usual copyright is in that sources:

/***********************************************************************

  Copyright (C) 2002-2005  Rickard Andersson (rickard@punbb.org)

  This file is part of PunBB.

  PunBB is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
  under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
  by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License,
  or (at your option) any later version.

  PunBB is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
  WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
  GNU General Public License for more details.

  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
  Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston,
  MA  02111-1307  USA

************************************************************************/

  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 713

Re: License issues

As far as I understand, you have sources written by somebody and you want to know if all sources are released under GPL. Am I right?

Actually, it is not required by GPL. Everything depends on the connection between PunBB and other sources.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.htm … tarySystem:

However, in many cases you can distribute the GPL-covered software alongside your proprietary system. To do this validly, you must make sure that the free and non-free programs communicate at arms length, that they are not combined in a way that would make them effectively a single program.

PunBB team intentions, personal tasks.

Parpalak's Website