010-100 · Question #42
Which of the following is a requirement of the GPL license but not the BSD license?
The correct answer is A. Users who modify and distribute the software under the GPL license, must make the modifications. The GPL license has a copyleft requirement that forces anyone who distributes modified versions to release those modifications under the same GPL license, which the BSD license does not require.
Question
Which of the following is a requirement of the GPL license but not the BSD license?
Options
- AUsers who modify and distribute the software under the GPL license, must make the modifications
- BThe GPL license forbids the removal of copyright and license notices from source code files that
- CThe GPL license contains a disclaimer of warranty requiring users not to hold the software authors
- DThe GPL license requires that any legal disputes be settled with the mediation of the Free Software
How the community answered
(25 responses)- A72% (18)
- B16% (4)
- C4% (1)
- D8% (2)
Why each option
The GPL license has a copyleft requirement that forces anyone who distributes modified versions to release those modifications under the same GPL license, which the BSD license does not require.
The GPL's defining characteristic is its copyleft provision, which mandates that any modified version of GPL-licensed software that is distributed must also be released under the GPL license with source code available. The BSD license is permissive and places no such restriction on derivative works - modifications can be kept proprietary. This distinction is the core philosophical difference between copyleft and permissive open-source licenses.
Both GPL and BSD licenses require retention of copyright and license notices, so this is not a distinction unique to GPL.
Disclaimers of warranty are present in both GPL and BSD licenses, making this a shared requirement rather than a GPL-only one.
The GPL does not contain any provision requiring dispute mediation by the Free Software Foundation; legal disputes are handled under applicable law.
Concept tested: GPL copyleft vs BSD permissive license requirements
Source: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html
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