Open source issue

elmasry

Hello, I'm a business entrepreneur and don't have much experience with developing stuff, I just wonder if we used Status.net for our new start-up and developed some new special additional features, Do we have to share them with the open source? I mean can people copy the new features easily?

lnxwalt

@elmasry We are all volunteers who like and use the software here. However, the SN software is released under the AGPLv3 license: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html

I'm not a lawyer, but my reading is that any alterations must be made available under the same license (which includes allowing users to request a copy of the PHP source). You'd probably have to contact Statusnet Inc to be sure what is covered. For instance, some projects exempt themes and plugins that use designated interfaces from these requirements.

Also, whether you're using open source or closed source, if you are concerned about license requirements (and you should be), contact the organization in question or hire an attorney.

elmasry

@inxwalt Thanks a lot for your comment, do you know any other licensed/paid platform that's similar to Status net?

mvdan

@elmasry There are not that many social network software packages like status.net out there, but you might be interested in friendica. Altough it is most probably tight to the same free software terms - which should not be a bad thing at all :)