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peter-iakovlev / Telegram

Telegram Messenger for iOS
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GPL License not compatible with the Apple App Store #157

Open fgallaire opened 7 years ago

fgallaire commented 7 years ago

The GPL License is not compatible with the Apple App Store:

https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/the-gpl-the-app-store-and-you

1) Under which license is Telegram for iOS actually distribued on the App Store ?

2) Could it be possible to switch Telegram for iOS to the LGPL license which is compatible with the App Store ?

AricMobile commented 6 years ago

+1

CalvinTp commented 6 years ago

Any update for this question and suggestion? I think it is important to have this clarified.

AricMobile commented 6 years ago

Thank you for your care CalvinTp. I changed 4 item:

  1. change app name
  2. change app logo
  3. change default background on my own
  4. change color of top navigation var It is well on Simulator but when I upload to App Store I met a problem. Can you explain about risks when I upload app to App Store? Best Regards.
fgallaire commented 6 years ago

Any news about this important license problem ?

fgallaire commented 6 years ago

@peter-iakovlev

jcelerier commented 6 years ago

this information is from 2010 and is outdated, nowadays anyone with an iPhone can freely update an app with Xcode and his iDevice to satisfy the GPL. See for instance: https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/6495/4349

fgallaire commented 6 years ago

Your link is LGPL related.

The GPL is still not compatible with the App Store.

jcelerier commented 6 years ago

AFAIK it does not make a difference, you have to be able to satisfy the GPL obligations for the LGPL libs (being able to re-upload the app with modified libs), and if you are able to satisfy those, you are able to do the same for the GPL parts.

jcelerier commented 6 years ago

here are some examples of GPLv3 apps allowed by apple on the store:

etc...

fgallaire commented 6 years ago

@jcelerier you miss the point, but it's not easy ;-) The GNU GPL is not compatible with the App Store

https://kapeli.com/dash_ios
https://github.com/wireapp/wire-ios
https://github.com/nextcloud/ios

And Telegram are on the App Store, but, this is the point, not under the GPL License.

Me and you can't fork and republish on the App Store one of this apps form the GPL repo.

fgallaire commented 6 years ago

BTW Nextcloud uses a modified version of the GNU GPL to make it compatible with the App Store. https://github.com/nextcloud/ios/blob/master/COPYING.iOS

sparr commented 5 years ago

@jcelerier To be clear, the problem is not that Apple forbids GPL apps. The problem is that the GPL forbids you from distributing with certain additional terms, and Apple's TOS adds such terms. This is fine if you are the sole copyright holder, but not if you have used some other GPL work in your code.