[wp-hackers] Licensing question

[Otto]

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 9:05 AM, Dan Coulter <dan at dancoulter.com> wrote:
> The way I understand it (and someone will correct me if I'm wrong), you can
> use a BSD licensed library in GPL software, but you cannot build a BSD
> plugin for WordPress.  GPLv2 says this:
>
> "You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or in
> part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be
> licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of
> this License."

The BSD license is actually less restrictive than the GPL, so it's
perfectly valid to release a plugin/theme under it.

It's not acceptable to take existing GPL code (which you did not
write), and release it under a BSD license. But code that you create,
you own, and can release under any license you like. If it's
derivative of WP then it needs to be GPL-compatible only.

Jordi, whether you want to use BSD licensing or not is up to you. BSD
licensing is as close to a no-restrictions license that there is. If
you're comfortable with somebody taking your code and incorporating it
into a closed-source system, then BSD is the way to go. Else, GPLv2
would be recommended.

-Otto
Sent from Memphis, TN, United States