If I make calls to an unmodified 3rd party library which is GPL3, do I have to open-source my project? The interfaces to the GPL3 library are all generics, primitives, or system library classes.
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1The short answer is "your project must be released under GPL3" but someone may have more nuance. Note that if you don't give copies of your project to anyone else, then it doesn't actually matter. GPL3 says that anyone who gets a copy also gets the source code (if they actually want it), but ti doesn't say you have to give out copies at all. You don't have to put your thing on Github for example.– Stack Exchange Supports IsraelCommented May 15 at 19:19
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2Does this answer your question? Should I publish everything running on Linux under GPL?– planetmakerCommented May 15 at 19:28
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@planetmaker That specific question probably isn't relevant as it gets into the nuances of a GPL'd operating system, which is very different from a GPL'd library.– Philip KendallCommented May 15 at 21:38
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2 Answers
YES. Unless you want to keep it for yourself, then you don't have to do anything. But you have to make the full source available at least to anyone whom you give or distribute your binaries to as you are only allowed to distribute a programme linked to a GPL-licensed library under terms of the GPL, too.
That's the point of the license and extremely likely the reason the authors of the library chose it.
The answer can be different if the library's license is not GPL, but a system library under GPL with classpath exception or under the LGPL.
Not always it all depends the usage. So if you are linking that GPL licensed library dynamically or statically then the whole software (proprietary + Open-source) comes under the GPL license. But if we use that GPL licensed library as separate work or access that library via API, then GPL obligations won't apply to your proprietary work.
