> /v1/glossary/gpl · LICENSE
GNU General Public License(GPL)
The original copyleft license. Derivative works must remain GPL — the basis of free software.
The GNU GPL is the original copyleft license, written by Richard Stallman. It guarantees that derivative works also remain GPL — meaning anyone receiving a binary has the right to receive the source.
There are two main versions in active use: GPLv2 (1991) and GPLv3 (2007). GPLv3 added explicit patent grant clauses and "tivoization" prevention (you can't ship GPL software in a locked-down device that prevents user modification).
Used by: Linux kernel (GPLv2), Bash, GIMP, and countless GNU tools. WordPress is GPLv2.
Practical implications: if you fork GPL code, your fork must also be GPL. If you distribute a binary, you must offer source. If you only run GPL code on your servers without distributing it, you have no copyleft obligation (this is the loophole AGPL closes).
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