Can I modify the GPL and make a modified license?
(#ModifyGPL)
You can use the GPL terms (possibly modified) in another
license provided that you call your license by another name and do not include
the GPL preamble, and provided you modify the instructions-for-use at the end
enough to make it clearly different in wording and not mention GNU (though the
actual procedure you describe may be similar).
If you want to use our
preamble in a modified license, please write to for permission. For this
purpose we would want to check the actual license requirements to see if we
approve of them.
Although we will not raise legal objections to your
making a modified license in this way, we hope you will think twice and not do
it. Such a modified license is almost certainly incompatible with the GNU GPL,
and that incompatibility blocks useful combinations of modules. The mere
proliferation of different free software licenses is a burden in and of
itself....
I'd like to license my code under the GPL, but I'd also like to
make it clear that it can't be used for military and/or commercial uses. Can I
do this? (#NoMilitary)
No, because those two goals contradict each
other. The GNU GPL is designed specifically to prevent the addition of further
restrictions. GPLv3 allows a very limited set of them, in section 7, but any
other added restriction can be removed by the user.
And Notwithstanding any other provision of this License, for
material you
add to a covered work, you may (if authorized by the copyright
holders of
that material) supplement the terms of this License with
terms:
a) Disclaiming warranty or limiting liability
differently from the
terms of sections 15 and 16 of this License; or
b) Requiring preservation of specified reasonable legal notices or
author
attributions in that material or in the Appropriate Legal
Notices displayed
by works containing it; or
c) Prohibiting misrepresentation of the
origin of that material, or
requiring that modified versions of such
material be marked in
reasonable ways as different from the original
version; or
d) Limiting the use for publicity purposes of names of
licensors or
authors of the material; or
e) Declining to grant
rights under trademark law for use of some
trade names, trademarks, or
service marks; or
f) Requiring indemnification of licensors and authors
of that
material by anyone who conveys the material (or modified versions
of
it) with contractual assumptions of liability to the recipient, for
any liability that these contractual assumptions directly impose on
those
licensors and authors.
All other non-permissive additional terms
are considered "further
restrictions" within the meaning of section 10. If the
Program as you
received it, or any part of it, contains a notice stating that it
is
governed by this License along with a term that is a further
restriction, you
may remove that term.
So, ask your lawyer if you want to. Or ask
FSF. But I think this is plain enough.
Don't forget that we have a page on
Groklaw just for resources to help you understand the GPL. You don't have to
guess. Please DON'T guess if you are telling a person to do X or Y. They might
do what you suggest and end up in hot water.
