GPLtyyppinen

GPLtyyppinen is a term that describes software licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL is a widely used free software license that grants users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software. This means that any software distributed under the GPL must also be distributed under the GPL, ensuring that the freedoms associated with the software are preserved for all subsequent users and developers.

The core principles of the GPL are often referred to as "copyleft," a play on the word "copyright." Copyleft is a mechanism that uses copyright law to ensure that derivative works of GPL-licensed software remain free. If a developer modifies GPL-licensed software and distributes their modifications, they are obligated to make the source code of their modifications available under the same GPL terms. This prevents proprietary forks of free software from being created and closed off from the community.

Software that is "GPLtyyppinen" adheres to these principles. Developers who choose the GPL for their projects aim to contribute to the ecosystem of free and open-source software. Users who obtain GPLtyyppinen software can be confident in their rights to use, modify, and redistribute it, as well as access its source code. This fosters collaboration and transparency within the software development community. Examples of widely known software licensed under the GPL include the Linux kernel and the GNU operating system.