Software licencing is a complex affair, with a lot of potential ways to violate a end user licence agreement (or EULA).
The violations could include:
But when using software, we don’t usually think about the top five types of software licenses that we should be familiar with. Those licenses include AGPL (Affero General Public License), which is excellent for any programmer to be familiar with.
Perhaps you want to customize an existing source code and distribute it securely as your own. With that, you wouldn’t want others editing your code and claim it’s theirs. That’s where you can utilize AGPL.
But what is AGPL? Read on to learn more about it.
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Before diving into AGPL, we must know where it came from. It’s similar to GPL (General Public License), licensing used for distribution. So, that makes software open source under a GPL.
Linux is an excellent example of open-source software. It’s an operating system with a free software license to use and alter however you want. Also, you’re not required to release your modified version to the public.
Perhaps you added code to change up Linux and alter other parts of it, and you want to put it out there for profit. You can’t do that.
Just because it’s open-source, it doesn’t mean you get to change something and distribute it for profit freely. Under a GPL, you must share your customizations with the public and keep them free.
The Affero License is a step further for open source software licensing. It allows the original coder or programmer to have their modified software distributed and requires other people to release their changes to your code when they use it on a server.
For example, let’s say you have the source code you created and used for software under a GPL. Then, you decide to distribute it to others using an AGPL. Once the other users put it on their computer network and customize it, they are required to release it.
Essentially, under an Affero General Public License, your source code is protected when someone else uses and alters it. They must share it freely with the public. A great example of an AGPL software is itextsharp.
AGPL is excellent for creators looking to share their software safely. The coders or programmers can take GPL code and alter it however they like and require others to share it publicly when they (others) change the source code.
Although it’s an excellent license for creators, companies may not want to use AGPL software since they have to reveal their codes afterward. So, some will say AGPL software is an excellent tool for students who wish to learn more about it and practice.
If you find this helpful about software licenses, look at more of our tech articles to help you out.
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