I’m looking at plupload for some upload features on a website I’m developing. Now plupload is GNU GPLv2 licensed and that implies that all derivative software should also be GPL licensed (right?). Therefore I run the plupload through my minifier, the single minified js file will violate the license, and upon request, I must make all the sources of my page available (right?).
I’m curious about:
- can I use the plupload API without having to open source my code?
- does the license exclude minified code somehow?
See also: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3213767/minified-javascript-and-bsd-license
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Disclaimer: IANAL
Short answers:
- yes, you can use plupload without open sourcing your code
- no, minifying is not excluded by the license
Rationale based on my understanding to the GNU GPL 2.0 license is this:
- as long as your code is not a derivative work of the GPL’ed work, you are fine. In this case, your code does not extend, modify or otherwise depend on plupload other than using it over well published interfaces, so it can hardly be argued to derive form it. Please note this interpretation is debated and untested in court (as per comment by @apsillers).
- minifying the GPL’ed work is fine, as the minified version is really a binary (executable) version of the source code. This is permitted.
- you have to offer to provide the GPL’ed code, that is plupload, on request to anyone using your website.
BTW: To be on the safe side, you may want to consider buying one of their commercial license. And no, I am not in any way affiliated to plupload.
** Updates
- noted emphasis on GPL 2.0
- added link to further information on derivate work interpretation
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Yes, you may use GPL licensed javascript on a commercial page. You simply have to meet the distribution requirements. The license does not exclude using minified code, but you will have to make the non-minified version available as well. The easiest way to do this would be to include a comment with a link to the non-minified sources hosted on your site at the top of the minified code.
If you modify the GPL code in any way, your modifications will have to be GPL as well, so they should be included in the non-minified sources that you provide.
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