Alfresco Licensing FAQ

Why are we moving to GPL?

Alfresco feels strongly that the future of software is open source. Not a little open source mixed with a lot of proprietary source. Free and open source software. It is open source, not hybrid models that will drive true disruption in the software industry, with greater value created for and by end-users.

The GNU General Public License (“GPL”) is the ideal license to drive forward this industry disruption. The GPL ensures that no vendor – including Alfresco – can control a customer’s content. The GPL also provides the maximum assurance that the open source community and not, ultimately, Alfresco, protects investments in our code.

We plan to be in business for a long time, but wanted a license that guarantees our users that Alfresco, the code, will always be bigger and more enduring than Alfresco, the company. This enables our community to invest in the Alfresco code with maximum confidence that the investment will grow over time, and not be wasted.

Which version of the GPL are you using?

You may be aware that some licensors who use GPL allow their code to be licensed under the current version of GPL or “any later version.” This means that the code may be accepted by a licensee under the current version (which is now version 2) and any later version released by the Free Software Foundation, and the licensor may be bound by either sets of terms, depending on the choice of the licensee. Some other GPL projects, like the Linux projects, use a single version of GPL. We have decided to follow the lead of Linux on this point.

As of March, 2007, we expect a final release of GPL version 3 over the next few months. We are not certain what the final release of GPL version 3 will include, and the terms of the working drafts have differed significantly, so at this time we have chosen to make our code available under GPL version 2 only. When GPL version 3 is finalized and released, we may reassess this decision. For the time being, we have chosen version 2 only, to avoid forking of our code due to licensing issues.

What about attribution? With the move to GPL, is that no longer required?

No, it is not, unless you are using a version of the software that you downloaded prior to February 20, 2007. If you are using an older version of the software (e.g., Alfresco Community 1.4), you will need to continue to adhere to the license requirements of that version, which would include attribution.

Of course, this change of license does not change our trademark policy. We will continue to enforce our trademarks as would any trademark holder. The GPL also has notice requirements, and you should be sure to follow those.

Why the move away from attribution?

Prior to March 2007, Alfresco’s products were available under a version of the Mozilla Public License that included an attribution clause. This form of license has been popular among companies like Alfresco with dual licensing models. However, we have been mindful of concerns of license proliferation in the open source community, and so we elected to change our open source licensing option to GPL. Additionally, attribution was not a good fit for our Web Content Management offering, which was released in February 2007, as well as for those who wanted to embed Alfresco into other products (in a “headless” deployment). We thought it would be impractical to have users place an Alfresco logo on their websites. Finally, at Alfresco we believe that community matters as much as code. We felt that attribution was not helping us to reach out to the open source development community.

Does this make it easier to include Alfresco in open source projects?

Yes, it does. Especially when you take into account our FLOSS Exception. Alfresco’s GPL + FLOSS Exception policy gives the open source development community the world’s best content repository with freedom to embed it in other projects, from Drupal to Jasper Reports to…you name it. In summary, the Alfresco FLOSS Exception enables software provided under existing OSI-approved open source licenses to incorporate the Alfresco Community software without having to license the entire software package under the terms of the GPL. We prefer the GPL, but you may not – if you’re an open source-licensed project, we give you additional choice. Please see our FLOSS Exception page for more details.

I’ve heard some people say that the GPL conflicts with Apache-licensed code. Given that Alfresco incorporates Apache-licensed code (Spring, Lucene, and others), can Alfresco license this code as GPL?

First off, this alleged incompatibility only applies to Alfresco Community, which is licensed under the GPL. Those using Alfresco Enterprise get our software under a Commercial License, so they do not have to worry about this at all.

As for Alfresco Community (GPL license) and its incorporation of Apache-licensed software, there is no definitive decision on whether, in fact, the GPL is incompatible with Apache-licensed software. The Apache Software Foundation believes that it is compatible, which view we agree with, while the Free Software Foundation believes that it is not. Both groups are in discussions to resolve this issue. It is believed that GPLv3 has provisions that resolve the apparent incompatibility, as well.

However, as the issue comes down to patents, as the Apache Software Foundation notes, and as none of the Apache-licensed code that we incorporate into Alfresco has patents on it, this is a non-issue for us. It means that we can integrate Apache-licensed code without running afoul of the apparent incompatibility between the two because the software we incorporate is not patented, which incompatibility apparently arises from conflicting patent provisions in the two licenses.

If we were to incorporate Apache-licensed code that has patents on it, however, we could still incorporate it into our GPL-licensed project provided that we “pass through” those modules under their Apache license. In this case, we would simply license Alfresco Community under the GPL (with a FLOSS Exception) and note that some modules are separately licensed under Apache licenses.

Regardless of how we do it, you should feel comfortable using our 100% open source software. We will do whatever necessary to ensure you can use our software under open source licenses, preferably the GPL.

How will GPL affect my current use of Alfresco as a licensed (paid or unpaid) user?

Regardless of whether you’re a paid (Alfresco Enterprise) or unpaid (Alfresco Community) licensee, this license change will not affect your use of any software you received from us prior to February 20, 2007.

With the move to the GPL, your use will be affected depending on what kind of Alfresco user you are:

  • Alfresco Community Users. Our re-licensing will not affect your rights in code you have accepted under the modified MPL prior to February 2007. If you accepted code under that license, you can still use it under that license. However, if you download an update from us of after the February 2007 release of Alfresco Community 2.0, the update will be covered by the GPL plus FLOSS exception.
  • Alfresco Enterprise Users. We provide our paid Alfresco Enterprise customers with a Commercial License. So, in short, it will not affect you at all. While we are strong advocates of open source licensing, we recognize that some amongst our customers and partners may have different license requirements. Our Commercial Licensing is designed to meet these different needs for our paid customers. Our licensing change applies only to our Alfresco Community product.

Our company has a strict policy against use of GPL software. What will I need to communicate to our Legal Department on our use of Alfresco?

First off, we would encourage you to download a free, 30-day trial of Alfresco Enterprise. It is the same code that we ship with Alfresco Community, but is more rigorously tested, has full production and development support, is certified to work with leading third-party software (databases, application servers, etc.), and comes with improved documentation, immediate bug fixes, and other benefits. We deliver it to you under a Commercial License, a license that we extend when you decide to purchase an Alfresco Enterprise Subscription. In short, you can use Alfresco Enterprise without worrying about the GPL, if you’re concerned about it. (We prefer the GPL, but you may not, so we give you choice if you’re a paid subscriber.)

Your company probably instituted its policy about GPL software for one of two reasons: infringement risk and copyleft concerns. Some companies want to be sure that every bit of software in the enterprise is backed by warranties. If this is the case, you will need to use our Commercial License (Alfresco Enterprise). But most companies are more concerned about copyleft requirements -- which is the word used to describe the requirement in the GPL that redistribution must only take place under GPL terms. If that is the issue, you may or may not need our Commercial License, depending on what you want to do with our software. Please see our Licensing Policy page for more information.

If, for whatever reason, you prefer to use Alfresco Community, which is licensed under the GPL, and you don’t plan to redistribute the software (with or without modifications to it), then a commonly accepted industry view is that you may use the software without worrying about needing to release your own source code (the modifications to Alfresco Community or code you integrate with it) as open source software. The copyleft requirements of the GPL are only triggered upon distribution. It is therefore commonly understood that only when you distribute the software outside your organization would you would need to release your modifications under the GPL. This is not legal advice from Alfresco, however – you should seek competent legal counsel to best guide you in this matter.

How will GPL affect my current use of Alfresco as an Alfresco partner?

All Alfresco partners work with and distribute Alfresco Enterprise. Your rights and responsibilities are completely unchanged by this license change, which only affects Alfresco Community users.

If you are not an official partner and have been distributing Alfresco Community, you will need to abide by the rights and restrictions of the GPL.

Our company markets specific solutions built on top of Alfresco. What are the implications of moving to GPL for our solution offerings?

If you are an official Alfresco partner using Alfresco Enterprise, there are no implications whatsoever to our license change. You will keep exercising your Commercial License to Alfresco Enterprise, which will have terms mutually agreed upon between Alfresco and you.

If you are not an official Alfresco partner and are combining Alfresco with open source-licensed software consistent with our FLOSS Exception, you will need to abide by the terms of our FLOSS Exception for any derivative works.

If you are not an official Alfresco partner and are combining Alfresco with proprietary software or open source-licensed software that is not consistent with our FLOSS Exception, you will need talk to us about a Commercial License or license your software under the GPL.

Our company has executed an OEM license for Alfresco for use as an embedded component of our overall solution. What are the implications of a move to GPL for us?

As an official Alfresco partner, you are using our software under a Commercial License. This change will not affect you in any way.

How will GPL affect my current use of Alfresco's Community release?

You will need to abide by the GPL modified by our FLOSS Exception if you upgrade to a new release of Alfresco Community. If you prefer to remain with a previous version of the software licensed under the MPL + Attribution (our Alfresco Public License), you will need to continue to abide by the terms of that license.

What is the FLOSS exception? Does it apply to me and what does it provide for?

Alfresco’s FLOSS Exception allows specified Free/Libre and Open Source Software ("FLOSS") software to be able to use specified GPL-licensed Alfresco software despite the fact that some of these other FLOSS licenses are not compatible with GPL. It is a way of allowing specified open source-licensed software projects to integrate with Alfresco without having to change the license covering their projects to GPL.

The Alfresco FLOSS Exception is only relevant to licensees wishing to integrate the Alfresco Community software with other open source-licensed projects. Please visit our Licensing Policy page for more details.

Is there a precedent for this licensing model?

Yes. MySQL and others have used FLOSS exceptions for some time. They are increasingly common in the software industry as a way to provide all the benefits of the GPL while allowing GPL-licensed software to integrate well with other open source-licensed projects, which might otherwise not be integrated due to license incompatibility.

What happens if a popular open source project embeds and distributes Alfresco. Is this allowable under the FLOSS exception?

If an open source project is licensed under one of the specified licenses in Alfresco’s FLOSS Exception, then it may embed GPL-licensed Alfresco software without requiring its software to also be licensed under the GPL. Please review the Alfresco FLOSS Exception to ensure you are in compliance.

As a potential Alfresco customer, why would I choose to license Alfresco directly from you rather then take the embedded offering from an existing open source vendor?

This depends on what you are seeking. It may well be that the embedded offering, or its equivalent, is not available from Alfresco. This is one of the wonderful things about open source: the community has theoretically unlimited resources to tailor the Alfresco version of the software to a diverse set of needs. We help to start or continue “the content management conversation” with Alfresco – we don’t expect to be the complete conversation.

However, for those looking for Alfresco Enterprise – certified, rigorously tested, and supported software with access to the vibrant and growing Alfresco Network – this is only available from Alfresco or one of our official partners.

The choice is yours.

How does this change in Alfresco’s license model fit within the overall market development of open source business applications?

The software industry is dividing into two camps: monolithic, proprietary stacks (where vendors seek to provide an end-to-end solution for all computing needs) and best-of-breed, open source and open standards stacks. We are part of this latter camp, and believe open source offers customers unparalleled choice, cost savings, and exceptional software. While much of the open source software applications market is still stuck “half-way” between proprietary and open source software, we believe that we are on the front-end of a growing trend toward greater openness in software licensing, and thus greater benefits for customers.

Will Alfresco ever change its licensing policies again?

Over time, we may need to streamline our licensing policies to respond to developer needs and to ensure the stability and commercial viability of our products. Any changes to our policy will be posted on our website. But of course, if we change our policy, and you have received a license to our code under our free licensing terms, that will not terminate the rights you have already been granted. Any changes will only apply going forward to new releases of our code.

Where can I get additional information on Alfresco 2.0 and Alfresco licensing?

Please visit our Products page for information on Alfresco 2.0 (or take a look at what is coming next in our Product Roadmap). You can find our licensing information here.