GPL Question

**Yuhaney** · 09-05-2012, 10:18 PM

I know that you can modify, share or even sell products itself licensed with the GPL as long as you provide the source code with the product.

However, if you create something brand new yourself with a product that is licensed under the GPL, does that mean that your creation is also automatically under the GPL license?

For example, if you take a photo of a cat with camera and then edit it with GIMP (or create clipart or something similar from scratch), and then put it up on your site for people to buy.
Does that mean you also have to give it away for free if someone wants it and they can use it as they like?

...or if you're a band that recorded instruments with Audacity and then edited them together with some other music program that is also under the GPL, does it mean that you must share the final song itself for free if someone wants it and they can do what ever they want with it?

...or is it just that you must share the program and it's source code that was used to create those pieces of work?

**Your Computer** · 09-05-2012, 10:33 PM

In the case of making images in the GIMP or editing sound in Audacity: no. In the case of grabbing GPL-copyrighted source code and modifying it: yes. Statically-linking GPL-copyrighted libraries: yes. It gets more complicated, but for non-programmers it shouldn't be an issue.

**Yuhaney** · 09-05-2012, 10:37 PM

So basically stuff you create with any program licensed under the GPL doesn't automatically put your works under the same license? Unless you personally edit the source code of course...

**Acies** · 09-05-2012, 11:13 PM

(09-05-2012, 10:37 PM)Scraper Wrote: So basically stuff you create with any program licensed under the GPL doesn't automatically put your works under the same license? Unless you personally edit the source code of course...

... And that edited source code is part of what you are trying to sell.

Meaning you could work with an edited gimp and your rights to the images would still be the same.

**Yuhaney** · 09-05-2012, 11:34 PM

So, if you mess with GIMP's source code and create something with the modified program, you have to give that modified code as a part of the product you're selling, but if you create something with unmodified GPL licensed product, you own all the rights and don't need to share anything. Am I correct?

**Your Computer** · 09-05-2012, 11:48 PM

The content created with the program is not branded with GPL, regardless of whether the program's source code has been modified.

**Yuhaney** · 09-05-2012, 11:52 PM

I see.
However, I still don't understand when the source code must be shared?
Not that I'm going to mess with anything. Just curious.

**Your Computer** · 09-06-2012, 12:03 AM

Say, for example, you decide to redistribute the GIMP for a price--which the GPL allows you to do. You must therefore, according to the GPL, provide the consumer either a copy of the source code of the version of the GIMP you're selling or a way of obtaining said source code (e.g. providing a URL).