CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" dir="ltr" lang="en"><head profile="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11"><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://wordpress.org/about/license/","20120502064900","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1335941340"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>  <link href="https://plus.google.com/107188080561309681193" rel="publisher"/> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="7VWES_-rcHBcmaQis9mSYamPfNwE03f4vyTj4pfuAw0"/> <title>WordPress › About » License</title> <style type="text/css"> @import url("https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900cs_/http://s.wordpress.org/style/wp4.css?20"); </style> <link media="only screen and (max-device-width: 480px)" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900cs_/http://s.wordpress.org/style/iphone.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900im_/http://s.wordpress.org/favicon.ico?3" type="image/x-icon"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/https://ssl." : "https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-52447-1"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); function recordOutboundLink(link, category, action) { pageTracker._trackEvent(category, action); setTimeout('document.location = "' + link.href + '"', 100); } </script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900js_/http://s.wordpress.org/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js"></script> </head> <body id="wordpress-org"> <div id="header"> <div class="wrapper"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/">WordPress.org</a></h1> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/search/do-search.php" method="get" id="head-search"> <input class="text" name="search" type="text" value="Search WordPress.org" maxlength="150" onfocus="this.value=(this.value=='Search WordPress.org') ? '' : this.value;" onblur="this.value=(this.value=='') ? 'Search WordPress.org' : this.value;"/> <input type="submit" class="button" value="Go"/> </form> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/" title="Home is where the heart is.">Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/showcase/" title="See some of the sites built on WordPress.">Showcase</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/" title="Find just the right look for your website.">Themes</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/" title="Plugins can extend WordPress to do almost anything you can imagine.">Plugins</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/extend/mobile/" title="Take your website on the go!">Mobile</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/" title="About the WordPress Organization, and where we're going." class="current">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page" title="Documentation, tutorials, best practices.">Docs</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/news/" title="Come here for the latest scoop.">Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/support/" title="Support and discussion forums.">Forums</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/hosting/" title="Find a home for your blog.">Hosting</a></li> <li id="download"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/download/" title="Get it. Got it? Good.">Download</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="headline"> <div class="wrapper"> <h2>The WordPress License</h2> </div> </div> <div id="pagebody"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="col-2" id="sidebar"> <ul class="submenu"> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/">Intro</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/requirements/">Requirements</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/features/">Features</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/testimonials/">Testimonials</a></li> </ul> <ul class="submenu"> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/books/">Books</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/swag/">Swag</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/logos/">Logos and Graphics</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/fanart/">Fan Art</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/contact/">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/domains/">Domains</a></li> <li><a id="subcurrent">GNU Public License</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/">Roadmap</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/philosophy/">Philosophy</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/stats/">Statistics</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-8"> <p>The license under which the WordPress software is released is the GPLv2 (or later) from the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://www.fsf.org/">Free Software Foundation</a>. A copy of the license is included with every copy of WordPress, but you can also read <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/gpl/">the text of the license</a> here.</p> <p>Part of this license outlines requirements for derivative works, such as plugins or themes. Derivatives of WordPress code inherit the GPL license. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://drupal.org/">Drupal</a>, which has the same GPL license as WordPress, has an excellent page on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://drupal.org/licensing/faq/">licensing as it applies to themes and modules</a> (their word for plugins).</p> <p>There is some legal grey area regarding what is considered a derivative work, but we feel strongly that plugins and themes are derivative work and thus inherit the GPL license. If you disagree, you might want to consider a non-GPL platform such as <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://www.s9y.org/">Serendipity</a> (BSD license) or <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://habariproject.org/en/">Habari</a> (Apache license) instead.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="wrapper"> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/privacy/">Privacy</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/about/license/">License / GPLv2</a>     See also: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.com/?ref=wporg-footer" title="Hassle-free WP hosting">WordPress.com</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.tv/" title="Videos, tutorials, WordCamps">WordPress.TV</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://central.wordcamp.org/" title="Find a WordPress event near your home">WordCamp</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://jobs.wordpress.net/" title="Find or post WordPress jobs">WP Jobs</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://ma.tt/" title="Co-founder of WordPress, an example of what WordPress can do">Matt</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/http://wordpress.org/news/feed/" class="rsslink">Blog RSS</a> </p> <br/> <iframe src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900if_/http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?app_id=121415197926116&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwordpress&send=false&layout=button_count&width=150&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font=lucida+grande&height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:150px; height:21px;" allowtransparency="true"></iframe> <div class="g-plusone" data-size="medium" data-href="https://plus.google.com/107188080561309681193"></div> <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900if_/http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.html?screen_name=WordPress&show_count=false" style="width:150px; height:20px;"></iframe> <h6>Code is Poetry</h6> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript">_qoptions={qacct:"p-18-mFEk4J448M"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900js_/http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <noscript><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900im_/http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-18-mFEk4J448M.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/></noscript>  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900js_/http://s.gravatar.com/js/gprofiles.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064900/https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function($){ $(document).ready(function() { $('#footer a').click(function() { if (this.href.indexOf('wordpress.org') == -1 && this.href.indexOf('http') == 0) { recordOutboundLink(this, 'Outbound Links', this.href); return false; } }); }); })(jQuery); </script> </body> </html>