App Store & GPL-2.0 License

Hi, I want to create a VPN App with OpenVPN which comply with GPL-2.0 License. But I don't know whether App Store will accept this app.

I read Apple Developer Program License Agreement, section 3.3.22 describes relevant contents about FOSS(Free and Open Source Software):

3.3.22 If Your Application includes any FOSS, You agree to comply with all applicable FOSS
licensing terms. You also agree not to use any FOSS in the development of Your Application in
such a way that would cause the non-FOSS portions of the Apple Software to be subject to any
FOSS licensing terms or obligations.

But it's still unclear, can someone give me some official words?

Thanks in advance!

You should ask the OpenVPN people for their thoughts.

It is mostly OK to use GPL-licensed code in an iOS app store app. You obviously have to publish ALL of your source code and provide an offer to supply that to everyone who installs the app. “Mostly OK” isn’t quite enough, though. Two issues I’m aware of are:

  1. The minimum end users terms and conditions for app store apps ( https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/minterms/ ) need to not conflict with the GPL terms. In particular: “The license granted to the End-User for the Licensed Application must be limited to a non-transferable license to use the Licensed Application on any Apple-branded Products that the End-User owns or controls …”. That “non-transferable” bit is clearly problematic.

  2. The GPL requires that you supply the source code, and says: “The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable.”. It could be argued that the “installation of the executable” part is not achievable for iOS because regular users cannot install executables onto their devices. (Though actually they can, now, without paying a developer programme membership, with some limitations.)

As I said, ask the OpenVPN people what their policy is. If the copyright holders don’t object to what you plan to do, then minor infractions are less of a concern. But I know they do also offer commercial licensing terms. If they feel that iOS apps should be using their commercially-licensed product, you need to be much more cautios (i.e. talk to a lawyer).

App Store & GPL-2.0 License
 
 
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