[documentation] [feature] CVS: Update FAQ.txt to clarify the impact of GPL on HTML output

Sat Mar 25 08:10:56 UTC 2006

Issue status update for 
http://drupal.org/node/53242
Post a follow up: 
http://drupal.org/project/comments/add/53242

 Project:      Documentation
 Version:      <none>
 Component:    Misc
 Category:     feature requests
 Priority:     normal
 Assigned to:  Anonymous
 Reported by:  Eaton
 Updated by:   lekei
 Status:       patch (code needs review)

+0.5  I think this is an excellent clarification.

It is sad that the concensus is that there will never be professionally
developed themes for Drupal, but two more faq questions would at least
make it possible to develop Drupal sites using all of the tools at your
disposal:

Q: Does work for a client constitute distribution?
/Currently work for a client where all of the result is not considered
"work product" is considered disribution by the GPL, hence proprietary
themes and modules for clients are forbidden./

Q: Does work on a team constitute distribution?
/Currently work on a team which is not all or part of a corporate
entity is considered disribution by the GPL, hence proprietary themes
and modules for clients are forbidden./

lekei

Previous comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 19:44:55 +0000 : Eaton

Attachment: http://drupal.org/files/issues/FAQ.txt.patch (901 bytes)

There's been a lot of confusion over the implications of Drupal's GPL
license. In particular, the question of whether HTML output from a
Drupal site is automatically GPL'd. Ideally, this would be included
somewhere in the drupal core distro, but for now a quick addition to
the FAQ.txt file found in the CVS /contributions directory can help.

+Q: Does the GNU/GPL license apply to the HTML generated by a Drupal
site?
+A: No. It is the intent of the Drupal developers that the license
apply to Drupal,
+   as well as any modules, theme engines, or theme code written to
interact with it.
+   The output generated by that code on a live site, however, is not
automatically
+   released under the same license.

Wording can probably be improved, but based on all the discussions that
have floated around and all the folks that have participated in them, I
think it would be very helpful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:01:51 +0000 : RayZ

+10  ... er +1 on adding this to FAQ.txt.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:34:21 +0000 : lekei

-1 This wording explicitly states that no licensed code may be used in a
theme or module.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:55:02 +0000 : Eaton

As per chx's recommendation:

+Q: Does the GNU/GPL license apply to the HTML generated by a Drupal
site?
+A: No. It is the intent of the Drupal developers that the license
apply to Drupal,
+ as well as any modules, theme engines, or PHP theme code written to
interact
+ with it. The output generated by a live Drupal site -- including CSS,
HTML,
+ images and other media files, as well as Javascript code used by a
theme --
+ are NOT automatically released under the same license simply because
they
+ are sent from the server to a user's browser.
+
+ Any file checked into the Drupal CVS repository, of course, is
automatically
+ released under the GPL for public use.

Clarifying the 'php' aspect, and the fact that images, css, and
generated HTML output are not automatically GPL'd.  lekei, this
modification is meant to clarify the GPL status of generated output for
a web site, not the issue of third-party libraries. That question is
probably best settled in another issue.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:07:44 +0000 : RayZ

+1  The updated version in #3 is a definite improvement. An official
clarification like this is long overdue.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 22:34:01 +0000 : Eaton

Attachment: http://drupal.org/files/issues/FAQ.txt_0.patch (2.54 KB)

RayZ, thanks for the feedback. I've added an additional question to this
patch that should also help clarify the way third-party code can be used
with themes and modules.

Q: I want to write a Drupal module or theme that uses third-party PHP
code
   incompatible with the GPL (for example, integrating with a
commercial web-chat
   product). Can I do that without violating the GPL?
A: Yes, you can. It requires an extra step, but it's perfectly
acceptable and
   several examples of it already exist. According to the GPL, code
written to
   interface directly with Drupal (like modules, PHP code in themes,
etc.) is
   'derivative work' and automatically inherits Drupal's GPL
license.
   You can, however, license your module or theme under an
ADDITIONAL less restrictive
   license called the LGPL. This dual-licensing allows your module
or theme to act as
   a buffer between Drupal's GPL license and the non-GPL code
libraries you're using.
   You should include a LICENSE.txt in your project noting this.
   You MAY NOT add those third-party code libraries to the Drupal
cvs repository,
   however, as all files in the repository must by GPL-licensed.
Users of your module
   or theme will have to download that software from another
location.
   The TinyMCE.module and sIFR.module projects, available for
download at drupal.org,
   demonstrate how this system can work. For more details about dual
licensing,
   visit the GNU GPL Frequently Asked Questions page at the
following url:
   http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html
Q: Does the GNU/GPL license apply to the HTML generated by a Drupal
site?
A: No. It is the intent of the Drupal developers that the license apply
to Drupal,
   as well as any modules, theme engines, or PHP theme code written
to interact
   with it. The OUTPUT generated by a live Drupal site -- including
CSS, HTML,
   images and other media files, as well as Javascript code used by
a theme --
   is NOT automatically released under the same license simply
because it
   is sent from the server to a user's browser.
   Any file checked into the Drupal CVS repository, of course, is
automatically
   released under the GPL for public use.