I am sure that you have at some point in time come across the term GPL software.

Most people know that GPL software is free software, but, outside of that, eyes generally glaze over when they start looking at the full GPL, and with good reason! The latest version of the GPL licence, GPLv3, is a LONG, very "legal" document, which can only truly be understood by some top lawyer.

In this article, I want to try and spell out the GPL in plain English.

Let’s see how I do:

• Anybody can use the software for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial.
• Anybody can modify the software in any desired way for private use, without redistributing any code. This means you are able to use and customize the software to run any web site, commercial or non-commercial, with no requirement to contribute your modifications back to the software user community. Naturally, such contributions are welcome, but by no means required.
• Anybody can redistribute the software, in its original form or modified, as long as the distributed product comes with full source code and is also licensed under the GPL.

That is the quick, easy and dirty of it. There are TONS more to it, but, this is the core of what you need to know.

You might be wondering why on earth a Internet Marketing company, who actually SELLS commercial software would want to simplify what the GPL means…… Well, watch this blog over the next couple of days to find out!