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News item about the license update to AGPLv3

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Norman Feske 2017-02-21 11:18:35 +01:00 committed by Christian Helmuth
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Open-source license update | 2017-02-21
#######################################
| With the upcoming version 17.02, Genode will adopt the GNU Affero General
| Public License (AGPLv3) as its regular open-source license.
Since our first release in 2008, Genode has been available under two flavors
of licenses addressing different user bases. With Genode's regular open-source
license, we address the Free-Software community, researchers, and technology
enthusiasts. With the commercial license, Genode Labs enables product vendors
to leverage Genode's technology for their businesses.
For our open-source license, we originally picked the time-tested GNU General
Public License version 2 (GPLv2). However, the time did not stand still. After
9 years, it is time to update the license to a more recent version. After
careful review of the open-source licensing landscape, we settled on the GNU
Affero General Public License (AGPLv3), which is based on the GNU GPLv3 and
thereby rectifies several shortcomings of the GPLv2. Furthermore, it closes
loopholes of the GPLv3 license with respect to web applications. Unlike 2008
when most applications were programs executed directly on the end user's
computer, web applications have become predominant by now.
To address possible concerns about the interoperability of the AGPLv3 with
other open-source licenses, Genode's license will be accompanied with a
linking-exception clause that clarifies our consent to link Genode with all
commonly established open-source licenses.
In December, we presented our plan of the license change to the subscribers of
Genode's mailing list. The following constructive
[https://sourceforge.net/p/genode/mailman/genode-main/thread/585116C8.2020607%40genode-labs.com/#msg35550569 - discussion]
within the community helped us to refine our linking clause and to create a
common understanding of the rationale behind our licensing choice. Thanks to
everyone who participated in this discussion!
Road Map for 2017 | 2017-01-17
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