GPLv3 and closed intranets.

Hi B4W, Great software and thanks for creating it.

I was hoping someone could answer a question to do with gplv3 and closed intranets. I have been talking with a potential customer about developing some virtual environments for their internal training programs. They have a copy of B4W and are asking me if I knew whether they will need to hand on the source code to the opensource community if the project was created in B4W. A quick look at the gplv3 eula reveals that if the project is not distributed ("sold on") to others then "no" they don't.

This is an extract from the Wikipedia explanation of the licence.
"In purely private (or internal) use —with no sales and no distribution— the software code may be modified and parts reused without requiring the source code to be released. For sales or distribution, the entire source code need to be made available to end users, including any code changes and additions— in that case, copyleft is applied to ensure that end users retain the freedoms defined above."

The reason they are concerned is that the content in their training is their copyright and not free to be distributed in such a way.

So I would appreciate nailing down exactly what is allowed under the gplv3 licence agreement.
Thanks
Luke

Hi Luke,

Yes indeed, if a GPL-licensed program is not distributed publicly, then the author can keep its source code private.

Thanks Yuri,

So do you think that applies to development on a University Learning Management System?

If not I would like to get in contact re partnership programme.

Cheers.

So do you think that applies to development on a University Learning Management System?

GPL implies that every program user (for example, a university student) has the right to request its source code.

If not I would like to get in contact re partnership programme.

I'll drop you a line.