
<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">The question of what constitutes "other parties" is likely to vary not only from state to state but from country to country etc. Nevertheless, at least up through GPL 2 the FSF's stance, from their own FAQ, was: </font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana"><br></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><dt style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; font-weight: bold; "><b style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0-faq.html#TOCGPLRequireSourcePostedPublic" name="GPLRequireSourcePostedPublic" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">Does the GPL require that source code of modified versions be posted to the public?</font></a></b></dt><dd style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 2em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">The GPL does not require you to release your modified version. You are free to make modifications and use them privately, without ever releasing them. This applies to organizations (including companies), too; an organization can make a modified version and use it internally without ever releasing it outside the organization.</font><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">But </font><em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">if</font></em><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana"> you release the modified version to the public in some way, the GPL requires you to make the modified source code available to the program's users, under the GPL.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">Thus, the GPL gives permission to release the modified program in certain ways, and not in other ways; but the decision of whether to release it is up to you.</font></div></dd></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana">What's an "organization"? Well, that's also open for interpretation. And the fact they specifically call out companies as being included in that definition implies that the FSF recognizes other types of organizations (which aren't specifically delineated). Further comments speak specifically to contractual work: </font></span></div><div><br></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><dt style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; "><a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0-faq.html#TOCDevelopChangesUnderNDA" name="DevelopChangesUnderNDA" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Does the GPL allow me to develop a modified version under a nondisclosure agreement?</span></font></a></dt><dd style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 2em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); background-position: initial initial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Yes. For instance, you can accept a contract to develop changes and agree not to release </span></font><em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">your changes</span></font></span></em><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> until the client says ok. This is permitted because in this case no GPL-covered code is being distributed under an NDA.</span></font><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">You can also release your changes to the client under the GPL, but agree not to release them to anyone else unless the client says ok. In this case, too, no GPL-covered code is being distributed under an NDA, or under any additional restrictions.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">The GPL would give the client the right to redistribute your version. In this scenario, the client will probably choose not to exercise that right, but does </span></font><em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">have</span></font></span></em><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> the right.</span></font></div></dd></span></span></font></div></body></html>