Standard or regulation
GNU General Public License version 3.0 (GPL-3.0)
Free Software Foundation, Open Source Initiative, 2007
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- The Open Source Initiative's page for the GNU General Public License version 3.0, showing its approval status, its SPDX identifier and the license's preamble.
- How much weight it carries
- The OSI maintains the list of licenses it has approved, and the page reproduces the license text published by the Free Software Foundation. It shows the license's terms, not whether any particular app follows them.
Facts taken from this source
- The preamble of the GNU General Public License version 3.0 says the license is meant to give you the freedom to distribute copies of free software, and that you may charge for them if you wish.
“you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for them if you wish)” (Preamble)
- The preamble of the GNU General Public License version 3.0 says that when it speaks of free software, it means freedom, not price.
“When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price.” (Preamble)
- The Open Source Initiative's license page lists the GNU General Public License version 3.0 with an approval date of September 5, 2007.
“Submitter: GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Approved: September 5, 2007” (Licence details, above the license preamble)