JavaScript – Confusion About Dual License (MIT/GPL) JavaScript for Use on My Website

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I've read all of the posts I can find on this and I'm still not sure of the answer.

I'd like to use a jQuery plugin on my website that is dual licensed under MIT and GPL.

  1. Does the dual license mean that as long as one or the other is satisfied I'm fine, or does it have to be both?

  2. I've read that a GPL javascript being loaded on someone's broswer doesn't count as redistribution, so I wouldn't have to use the GPL license for the rest of my site (provide source code). Is this true?

  3. My partner thinks I should remove the copyright altogether and change the variable names, as this is going to be on a commercial website. Is this ethical? I respect the person who took the time to write the code. Should I contact them and see if the plugin is available under a commercial license?

Thank you very much in advance for helping to clarify. As this is my first website, I figure it's better to ask these questions than take a shot in the dark.

Best Answer

1) Does the dual license mean that as long as one or the other is satisfied I'm fine, or does it have to be both?

Yes. Specifically, jQuery makes it explicit that you can use it even in commercial environment.

Why then it is also with GPL? This is because, if someone wants to make additional javascript library using jQuery, he/she can choose GPL license for himself/herself and distribute further in GPL to protect the freedom (which won't be possible with MIT).

2) I've read that a GPL javascript being loaded on someone's broswer doesn't count as redistribution, so I wouldn't have to use the GPL license for the rest of my site (provide source code). Is this true?

As of GPLv3 the web page downloading the javascript is NOT distribution because it is NOT usable form. This is actually helpful for the website owners who classify such usage of project as self use rather than distribution and hence they don't have to open their source.

There is a new license GPL Affero - that prohibits this; i.e. if there is a jQuery like library released under GPL Affero, the website owner has to release their own code as well!

3) My partner thinks I should remove the copyright altogether and change the variable names, as this is going to be on a commercial website. Is this ethical? I respect the person who took the time to write the code. Should I contact them and see if the plugin is available under a commercial license?

You don't have to do this. Specifically for jQuery license permits all uses (unless you are going to bomb any parliament somewhere) so it is not essentially.

If there was license restriction, you should NOT use this rather than really NOT giving due credit to the original author.

Even if not on ethical ground, legally it would be tough to recreate copyrights by merely changing variable names

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