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GPL question

Started by superpig 2 replies 500+ views
Original Post
superpig
superpig
(This question is distributed under the terms of the GNU Public License. If you modify this question in any way... naaah, not really funny ) I was wondering about the GPL and ''free'' software - "free as in speech, not as in beer." That''s a paraphrase of the FSFAQ from the GNU site. Does that mean that I can distribute the source code to my game under the GPL with my game, and still charge for the two? i.e. make a game and distribute it on CD along with the source code. The user still has the ability to modify the source code to alter the program however they see fit... though I don''t see how it can stop them from releasing that code to people who haven''t paid for it. Richard "Superpig" Fine - saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3 | Enginuity4 | Enginuity5 ry. .ibu cy. .y''ybu. .abu ry. dy. "sy. .ubu py. .ebu ry. py. .ibu gy." fy. .ibu ny. .ebu "Don''t document your code; code your documentation." -me
Richard "Superpig" Fine - saving pigs from untimely fates - Microsoft DirectX MVP 2006/2007/2008/2009
"Shaders are not meant to do everything. Of course you can try to use it for everything, but it's like playing football using cabbage." - MickeyMouse
Null and Void
Null and Void
quote:
Original post by superpig
Does that mean that I can distribute the source code to my game under the GPL with my game, and still charge for the two? i.e. make a game and distribute it on CD along with the source code.

Sure.
quote:
Original post by superpig
The user still has the ability to modify the source code to alter the program however they see fit... though I don''t see how it can stop them from releasing that code to people who haven''t paid for it.

You can''t. If you license it under the GPL, they''re allowed to redistribute it if they want to. You can release the data files (textures, models, sounds, music, et cetera) differently, if you want to prevent them from being freely distributable or otherwise limit their use.

superpig
superpig
quote:
Original post by Null and Void
You can''t. If you license it under the GPL, they''re allowed to redistribute it if they want to. You can release the data files (textures, models, sounds, music, et cetera) differently, if you want to prevent them from being freely distributable or otherwise limit their use.


Ahh, I see. Oh, right, that''s how Quake/Quake2 works, isn''t it?

Thanks
Richard "Superpig" Fine - saving pigs from untimely fates - Microsoft DirectX MVP 2006/2007/2008/2009
"Shaders are not meant to do everything. Of course you can try to use it for everything, but it's like playing football using cabbage." - MickeyMouse
Doc
Doc
Quake/Quake2 became GPL after the next version (Quake2/Quake3 respectivley) came out, so it''s a little different, but yes, that''s how they''re licensed now, IIRC.

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