Published:
Last updated:
AGPL (Affero General Public License)
The AGPL closes the SaaS loophole of the conventional GPL. It enforces source code disclosure even when software is not physically distributed, but merely offered via a network (as a service).
Core Concept
Strong copyleft: any modification to the software must be published under the same licence as soon as users interact with it over a network. This prevents cloud providers from using OSS projects as the basis for proprietary services without contributing improvements back.
Assessment
- For organisations: High risk when integrating into proprietary products. AGPL components should be operated in strict isolation (e.g. via API).
- For OSS authors: Optimal protection against commercialisation by cloud giants without reciprocal contribution.