Changes

Usually the name ''General Public License'' ([http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL]) refers to the [http://www.gnu.org/ GNU] [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html General Public License]. The latest version of this license may be found on the [http://www.gnu.org/ GNU] web site on the [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/ Licenses] page.  The third version of the license, GPLv3, was released in June 2007 and included changes designed to combat the use of [[DRM]].  There are many other public licenses that are used with "''free''" and/or [[open source]] software. However, some version of the GNU GPL is in use for a large percentage (estimated at 60%[ref]http://www.blackducksoftware.com/oss[/ref]) of [[open source]] software. For further understanding of the GPL see the References section below or follow one of the URLs in this article.

Usually the name '''General Public License''' ('''GPL''') refers to the [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GNU General Public License], a [[free software]] license written by [[Richard Stallman]], founder of the [[Free Software Foundation]].  The current version of the license, GPLv3, released in June 2007, includes changes designed to combat the use of [[Digital Rights Management]], or DRM.  There are many other [[free software|free]] or [[open source]] software licenses. All these licenses allow anyone to redistribute programs placed under them; the main peculiarity of the GPL is that it requires that, if you use GPL-licensed code in any [[Computer program|program]] you write, you license that [[derivative work|derivative]] program under the GPL.  Some version of the GNU GPL is in use for a large percentage (estimated at 60%<ref>http://www.blackducksoftware.com/oss</ref>) of [[open source]] software.

==Popular GPL-Licensed Software==

==Popular GPL-Licensed Software==

# MediaWiki (used to run [[Conservapedia]])

# MediaWiki (used to run [[Conservapedia]])

# Linux (the kernel and most basic tools)

# [[Linux]] (the kernel and most basic tools)

# OpenOffice

# [[Mozilla Firefox]], a popular web browser

# Pidgin

# [[OpenOffice]], a [[free software]] competitor to [[Microsoft Office]]

# Pidgin, a [[free software]] instant messaging program

==See also==

==See also==

[[Open Source]]

[[Open Source]]

==External links==

==External links==

[http://www.fsf.org/ The Free Software Foundation]

[http://www.fsf.org/ The Free Software Foundation]

[[Category:Software]]

[[Category:Software]]