Plugins that form a combined program must be GPL-compatible when distributed
Catalog row in Vendor License Rules · Cited
- Kind
- Redistribution
- Statement
- FSF GPL FAQ: if a main program dynamically links plug-ins and they make function calls to each other and share data structures, the FSF considers them a single combined program; in that case the plug-in must be licensed under the GPL or a GPL-compatible free licence when distributed. Notepad++ plugins are DLLs loaded into the Notepad++ process that exchange messages with it. The Notepad++ LICENSE contains no plugin exception, and the official plugin template is itself licensed GPL-2.0-or-later. Whether a particular plugin forms a combined program is a legal question the FAQ says judges ultimately decide.
- Applies when
- Developing or distributing a Notepad++ plugin, particularly a proprietary one.
- Applies to
- Notepad++ plugins (DLLs loaded by Notepad++)