general newbe question: how can an open source become a closed source ?

[whatsup]

i saw an open source c compiler
that became closed source with a different authour
how this can be possible, assuming the open source authour didn't sell the code ?

a guess:

if the last release of the open source was more than 3 years ago, (or something like this)
is it possible to modify and close the source by other authour ?

thanks in advanced

[fabienwang]

hello whatsup, there is NO time limit for any open source project.
this only depends on the project License.

As long as the original license allow to sublicense the original work, (almost always with keeping the original author name and copyright somewhere),
you will be allowed to close your source

[whatsup]

thank you very much for your reply.
does gpl license is such a license ?

[Martin_fr]

I am not a lawyer, so the below is only my personal opinion, and understanding:

If you refer to Lazarus, Lazarus comes with more than one license:

LCL: LGPL (with linking exception) see FAQ
IDE: GPL

some other packages with all kind of licenses (e.g MPL)

as for the LCL, which is under LGPL
=> you can write you own application using the LCL (Forms, buttons, ..), and you can put your app under any license that you wish, including close source and commercial.
=> If you modify the LCL itself (and use the modified LCL in public), then you must also release those modifications too the public (as source). However, in this case you only need to release the LCL modifications, the rest of your project would still be allowed closed source.

As for the IDE code, it is GPL, you can *not* use the code of the IDE to build and release a closed source version of Lazarus.

You can write a completely new (from scratch) IDE, using the LCL (but not the IDE code), and that you can make closed source...

---
lcl => code in the lcl directory
ide => code in the ide directory  (and a few other directories: codetools, debugger, ...)

[whatsup]

thanks Martin_fr
so i understand that that any open source project with
gpl/lpgl license can't be closed .
is that correct ?

so i wonder what kind of license allow to close an open source

(i'm not talking about using open source, but about modifing it and close it).

[Martin_fr]

so i understand that that any open source project with
gpl/lpgl license can't be closed .
is that correct ?

NO.

LGPL allows the creation of other/new projects that are closed source, using some of the code supplied by the LGPL project.

LGPL applies to the libraries supplied with a compile/ide => the compiler itself can have a difference license....

so i wonder what kind of license allow to close an open source

Any license allows that, as long as you are the copyright holder.

Persons that do not have the copyright, are bound to the license, which normally does not allow to close it.

but if you are the copyright holder, then you can change the license for newer versions as you are pleased....
--------------

If I was to release some code of mine under any open source license or similar... and then I make changes, I can release the changes under any other license I choose.

However, the old version will still exist, and will still be open source. as it was given away under a license, and can be continued to be used under that license...

[whatsup]

thanks martin
sorry that i didn't exaplined my self
i was asking about taking not mine open source
modify it
and publish it as freeware, but without the source

so i see from your last reply that the only license that this is availble
is LGPL

[Martin_fr]

even LGPL still has limits (and actually with lazarus it is LGPL with linking exception)

"unit Forms" is LGPL + linking exception.

1) you can write an app that "uses" Forms
=> your app can have any license, including closed source

2) IF it was only LGPL, but no linking exception
you app could use a library that includes "unit Forms" => the library must be open source, your app can be closed source.
with only LGPL, if you compile Forms directly into your app, it forces open source (and not just open source, but specific open source licenses)

3)
You modify the unit forms itself => e.g you fix a bug, you add a method:
You must rerelease this modified unit forms as open source.
But you can then use it in your app and the rest of your app can be closed source again.

---------
so whatever that compiler you mentioned, at first.
If it was any of the common open source licenses to begin with, then in order to release newer versions as closed source:
- you need permission of the copyright holder
- the original work was LGPL (+linking exception), and you only add new units, but do not modify the existing units at all.

The 2nd assumption is not likely. The compiler itself is not likely to have been LGPL (could be, but not likely)
The libraries that came with the compiler, (equivalent to RTL, LCL) may have been...

---
but again, I am no lawyer

[whatsup]

sorry for this newbiew question

in case that:
the source is not mine, and it is GPL
can i modify it, and publish everything in open source form,
except of my modifying code ?

[Leledumbo]

the source is not mine, and it is GPL
can i modify it, and publish everything in open source form,
except of my modifying code ?

Nope, AFAIK you have to publish everything without exception in open source form. LGPL is the only one allowing you to publish codes you write from scratch with different license (modification of original code must still fall to the original license).

[whatsup]

ok, got it.
thank you very very much all the helpers.