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I wrote software which I would like to release under the BSD license. Unfortunately, I am linking to a library which is based on GPL. Right now I do not have time to rewrite that library.
Can I release my software under GPL and later after rewriting the GPL library change license to BSD? (I would guess not).
My question is: how can I release the software right now without closing doors to the BSD license?
Thanks
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It requires you to disclose your source code and make the modified version open source as well. It also forbids you from sub-licensing, meaning that you can't change any of the original license terms or introduce any of your own. You're also required to state all the changes you make to the original code.
You can use BSD licensed code on your GPL code (as BSD allows you this, as long as you follow BSD terms, and one is NOT TO REMOVE the license from the copies), but you cannot simply re-license the whole thing, as you do not own it.
There's no way you can rescind the GPL on the software you have already given someone. The only way that license is allowed to be changed is to a newer version of the GPL. Whoever received it as GPL will always be free to use it and redistribute it to others under the GPL.
In contrast to the GPL, which is designed to prevent the proprietary commercialization of Open Source code, the BSD license places minimal restrictions on future behavior. This allows BSD code to remain Open Source or become integrated into commercial solutions, as a project's or company's needs change.
You can release it now on GPL, and release later versions on BSD. It's perfectly ok. The first versions will stay on GPL of course, but there's no obligation to publish later versions under the same license. (We're talking about code written by you here. If there are other contributors, you need their permission too.)
And, given that BSD is less strict than GPL, no one will certainly complain. A BSD -> GPL transition would be more difficult.
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