[Qgis-psc] Questions about QGIS API licensing for a company internal use only

[Matthias Kuhn]

On Thu, Dec 9, 2021 at 12:13 PM Jürgen E. Fischer <jef at norbit.de> wrote:

> On Thu, 09. Dec 2021 at 09:40:24 +1000, Nyall Dawson wrote:
> > On Thu, 9 Dec 2021 at 06:25, Rafael Abrantes Machado <
> rafael.a.machado at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I would like to make sure if we could use QGIS C++ API in our software,
> > > which is not (and cannot be) GPLv2, but it is for internal use only
> (will
> > > never be distributed).
>
> > > I read a lot about licensing and it seems to me that this would be an
> > > acceptable scenario but I thought it would be better to check with a
> formal
> > > QGIS channel.
>
> > No, this is NOT a legal use of the QGIS libraries. Regardless of how you
> use
> > or distribute your software it must still use a GPLv2 or later compatible
> > licence.
>
> Why?  A license defines what the receiver of a work is allowed to do with
> it.
> If a work is not given away, there's no need for a license.
>
> The GPL doesn't restrict use, but redistribution and that apparently not
> taking
> place in this case.
>
> I don't see why using the API should be different from any other use of
> QGIS.
>
>
Since we don't know the details of the conflicting license it's hard to
make an appropriate statement.

Conflicts can arise also internally; e.g. if an internal user asks for the
source code of the application which he is allowed to receive under the
terms of GPLv2.

IANAL
Matthias
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