GNU General Public License v3.0
Strong copyleft license requiring derivative works to also use GPL
CopyleftPopularity: 65%
โ Permissions
๐ผ
Commercial use
The licensed material and derivatives may be used for commercial purposes.
โ๏ธ
Modification
The licensed material may be modified.
๐ฆ
Distribution
The licensed material may be distributed.
โ๏ธ
Patent use
This license provides an express grant of patent rights from contributors.
๐
Private use
The licensed material may be used and modified in private.
โ Conditions
๐
License and copyright notice
A copy of the license and copyright notice must be included.
๐
Disclose source
Source code must be made available when the licensed material is distributed.
๐
Same license
Modifications must be released under the same license.
๐
State changes
Changes made to the licensed material must be stated.
โ Limitations
๐ซ
Liability
This license includes a limitation of liability.
โ ๏ธ
Warranty
This license explicitly states that it does not provide any warranty.
License Description
GPL v3.0 is the strongest copyleft license, ensuring that derivative works remain open source. It requires not only source code disclosure when distributing, but also the use of the same license.
Use Cases
Suitable for projects where you want to ensure code remains open source forever, preventing closed-source commercialization. Good for core infrastructure, operating systems, programming languages, etc.
Considerations
- โ ๏ธMust provide complete source code when distributing
- โ ๏ธDerivative works must use GPL license
- โ ๏ธLimited compatibility with other licenses
- โ ๏ธIncludes patent protection clauses
Notable Projects
Linux kernel
GCC
Git
WordPress