n_e_w_s Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 I'm a newbie with the OsCommerce & GPL, so I'm getting confused with the following VERY important issue which might discourage companies to use the Oscommerce: If my company will download OsCommerce package from your site (oscommerce.org) and modify it for our own purporses (ie. user interface of the website [customer shop] and make some new modules) then are we forced under the GPL to give all our modified Oscommerce sourcecode to anyone who asks it? And do we have to mention that our Ecommerce website is made under the GPL? Our intention is not to redistribute the OsCommerce, or the modified version of it, or our new modules using Oscommerce. Our only interest is to do business on a Ecommerce website based on the modified OsCommerce. Problem is that competitors will copy our business model very very quickly if we need to give all our modified modules to anyone who asks those. Wikipedia (Free encyclopedia) says about the GPL©left: "The copyleft only applies when a person seeks to redistribute the program. One is allowed to make private modified versions, without any obligation to divulge the modifications as long as the modified software is not distributed to anyone else. Note that the copyleft only applies to the software and not to its output (unless that output is itself a derivative work of the program); for example, a web portal running a modified GPL content management system is not required to distribute its changes to the underlying software." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL#The_copyleft BUT the GPL lisence says: "Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things." ... "You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their rights. " http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html#SEC2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_e_w_s Posted August 24, 2005 Author Share Posted August 24, 2005 To clarify this: "Our intention is not to redistribute the OsCommerce, or the modified version of it, or our new modules using Oscommerce. Our only interest is to do business on a Ecommerce website based on the modified OsCommerce." Our intention will be publishing on our website HTML templates which are referring (are using) modified OsCommerce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burt Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 You do not have to give anyone your sources if you do not distribute them. You do not have to mention that your website is made under the GPL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_e_w_s Posted August 24, 2005 Author Share Posted August 24, 2005 You do not have to give anyone your sources if you do not distribute them.You do not have to mention that your website is made under the GPL. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks, but in our case we are about to publish HTML templates which will use modified OsCommerce as a backbone system. After this HTML pages will be open to public. Does this count as "distributing" modified OSCommerce ? This is very common but important question. Thanks. OSCommerce rules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 If what you are distributing uses osCommerce as the backbone (meaning you are distributing osCommerce code), then yes (your statement is a little ambiguous). If however you only mean that the site you are selling your templates from runs on osCommerce, then no. The fact you are outputting HTML from your osCommerce store does not mean you are 'distributing' osCommerce. Matti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_e_w_s Posted August 24, 2005 Author Share Posted August 24, 2005 If what you are distributing uses osCommerce as the backbone (meaning you are distributing osCommerce code), then yes (your statement is a little ambiguous). If however you only mean that the site you are selling your templates from runs on osCommerce, then no. The fact you are outputting HTML from your osCommerce store does not mean you are 'distributing' osCommerce. Matti <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sorry my bad english! Our intension is to install modified version of the current Oscommerce (later: MOS) to our web server and then the MOS outputs HTML pages (catalog part). Modified catalog is public (open web address ie, www.domain.com) and catalog utilizes new features which are implemented by us to the current version of the OSCommerce. So I still clarify, that in our case we are not distributing OsCommerce since we are outputting HTML from our MOS. Right ??? PS. Sorry my bad english! The items we are about to sell are normal goods (tickets, etc.) not templates. Case is that the current OScommerce features are not enough in our case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Yes - if you are not distributing core osCommerce code, you are not distributing - HTML output is not distribution. Matti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_e_w_s Posted August 24, 2005 Author Share Posted August 24, 2005 I found this: In what cases is the output of a GPL program covered by the GPL too? Only when the program copies part of itself into the output. http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhatCaseIsOutputGPL Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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