GPL License

[Anna]

Do I have to open the source code derived from the code licensed under GPL v2? I want to modify a website theme licensed under GPL to create my own web page to let people view. There will be no distribution or money making. Do I have to open the modified code under the same GPL license?

[AndyJ]

The licence only requires you to provide the source code if you distribute it. If you were to distribute it then you have three options for how to do that:

• a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 of the GPL (see link above) on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
  
  b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 of the GPL on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
  
  c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

However since you are not distributing your modified version, you don't have to publish the code for it, although in the spirit of the GPL, you could provide it if asked. But you must display the GPL licence on your site, accompanied if necessary by a copyright notice for any content which is not covered by the GPL code.

[Anna]

Hi Andy,

Thank you for the help!