GNU
General Public License is a type of license designed specifically
for computer programs that complements copyright protection by allowing
for a broader series of rights to others. It is the license scheme
used in most Linux software. The revolutionary aspect of the GPL
is its "share alike" clause. If you choose to license
a work under the GPL, it prohibits anyone further distributing it
from giving fewer rights as they go...the people who get the work
5 steps away must still be able to modify it as they wish. This
prohibits a company from locking software up in a proprietary model.
The GNU GPL is designed to further the ideals of the Free Software Foundation. The "free" in FSF refers to the "free" in "freedom." It refers to the freedom of others to modify the code of your software, transfer the code to others, or otherwise do some things that copyright law would typically prohibit. For a full explanation of the GNU GPL, see the GPL Frequently Asked Questions file.