GPL’s Cloudy Future

I enjoyed this post, from Jeremy Allison as it turns out. It talks about how GPL software is “the new BSD” when it comes to cloud computing, since redistribuion of the software doesn’t happen, and thus doesn’t trigger the relevant clauses of the GPL. Any old company can use, re-use, and modify the software without sharing the code in the original spirit of the license. The community’s response–something I need to keep a closer eye on–is the AGPL, or Affero license. It works similarly to the GPL, but is triggered by remote use of the software, not just distribution, preserving the work’s copylefedness even in cloud computing situations. -m