Affero General Public License (AGPL)

An Affero General Public License (AGPL) is a Free Software License that is based on a GNU General Public License in which users are allowed to freely install, use, but not distribute a software.

• AKA: GNU Affero General Public License, Affero GPL, Affero License,
• Example(s):
  • AGPLv1,
  • AGPLv2,
  • AGPLv3,
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Aladdin Free Public License,
  • Apache License,
  • Creative Commons (CC) License,
  • Java Research License (JRL),
  • MIT License,
  • Mozilla Public License (MPL).
• See: Copyright, Web Application, Free Software License, Application Service Provider, Copyleft, Computer Network.

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References

2021

• (Wikipedia, 2021) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License Retrieved:2021-10-17.
  • The Affero General Public License (Affero GPL and informally Affero License) is a free software license. The first version of the Affero General Public License (AGPLv1), was published by Affero, Inc. in March 2002, and based on the GNU General Public License, version 2 (GPLv2). The second version (AGPLv2) was published in November 2007, as a transitional license to allow an upgrade path from AGPLv1 to the GNU Affero General Public License (a variant of the original Affero GPL license that is compatible with GPLv3).

    Both versions of the Affero GPL were designed to close a perceived application service provider (ASP) loophole in the ordinary GPL, where, by using but not distributing the software, the copyleft provisions are not triggered. Each version differs from the version of the GNU GPL on which it is based in having an added provision addressing use of software over a computer network. This provision requires that the full source code be made available to any network user of the AGPL-licensed work, typically a web application.

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