Question

Let me detail my situation:

I have developed a GPL video converter application, that relies on FFMPEG. The application's user interface uses the trademark logos/names of the company that requested the application etc. The application and the source code are available freely on the company's site.

If someone else wants to download the app and code, can they legally:

  1. Distribute the unmodified app on a different download site (such as http://download.cnet.com/windows/ )? (freely and with code)
  2. Bundle the application with adware stuff (for example a toolbar) and distribute it? (again, freely)
  3. Take the code, and replace all of the trademark logos, but keep the design of the user interface and then distribute it on a download site? I realize that as long as the app is GPL, they can reuse the code, which is not a problem, but reusing the design is a problem because it could pose a branding issue.

I'm not sure how all of these are covered in the GPL license, but the thing that the company wants to protect from is the redistribution on 3rd party download sites, as most of these sites also install adware content, so they want to avoid this association.

Thank you

Was it helpful?

Solution

Yes, the GPL allows all of that, it was designed to encourage redistribution and forking. But:

If somebody bundles the application with adware stuff, the adware stuff has to be published under the GPL as well. Therefore, they can not prevent the adware stuff being removed again. This also effectively prevents it from happening.

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