Title: WordPress.org Plugins Section Licensing Clarification Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # WordPress.org Plugins Section Licensing Clarification * [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/) * I have just seen on Plugins section of WordPress.org that Many authors are uploading their plugins as trial versions of their real plugins. Even they are not including any license information in their plugins. They are showing off their website addresses on final output and giving no way to change it as not providing source code. * Is it all allowed on wordpress.org/extend/plugins ? These plugins shouldn’t be under GPL License ? * Kindly clarify… Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total) * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794797) * > They are showing off their website addresses on final output and giving no > way to change it as not providing source code. > … > These plugins shouldn’t be under GPL License ? * Hmm? Which one? All of the plugins here can be edited and modified to your heart’s content. That’s a condition for hosting the plugin here. * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/guidelines/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/guidelines/) * > as trial versions of their real plugins. * As long as the author complies with the guidelines, doesn’t restrict the software in ways that conflict with the requirments, and they’re not promoting non-GPL compatible software, then I believe they’re fine. * If you have a problem with a plugin here, please point it out. There is a difference between compliance and the author doing something that you or I may not like. 😉 * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794803) * > Hmm? Which one? All of the plugins here can be edited and modified to your > heart’s content. That’s a condition for hosting the plugin here. > [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/guidelines/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/guidelines/) * Thanks for this. I will find my way out to change the source code of the files of the plugin * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794812) * Check out this plugin [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/page-flip-image-gallery/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/page-flip-image-gallery/) * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794839) * Trial versions, or limited versions, are allowed, provided the Pro version of the code is GPL compatible. Basically anything that sits on your WP install ** Must** be GPL-cool 🙂 * > They are showing off their website addresses on final output and giving no > way to change it as not providing source code. * Having a non-opt-in link on the front facing part of your site isn’t allowed ( except in rare cases where the code putting in that link is from code running on their servers, like YouTube branding). Basically the code that’s in the repo needs to have all links opt-in. There is, of course, more to it than that, it’s sort of like the API thing. If you have a legit reason, it might be okay. If you’re spamming, or scamming, it’s not. * Are you saying that the code, when in use on your site in a post, has a link to their site? If so, please email plugins AT WordPress.org with the plugin URL and that information 🙂 * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794840) * Can you point to the code or terms for that plugin here that are not compatible with the guidelines? Remember it’s the _code_ hosted here that has to comply with the terms. * I’m not part of the plugin review team, but If they’re following the guidelines then where is the problem? * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794841) * The link On output MIGHT be a problem, Jan 🙂 * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794842) * I claim extenuating circumstances: I’m on a train and managed to DoS my test server. 😉 * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794906) * Hi Guys !! I have installed the plugin on my one of the sites. For your reference, I have also posted screenshots with descriptions. * [http://www.smsbuddies.co.cc/?page_id=931](http://www.smsbuddies.co.cc/?page_id=931) * Jan !! Check out the guideline number 1, 5, 7.2, 10, 13. All of them have been violated. * Moderator [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/) * (@jdembowski) * Forum Moderator and Brute Squad * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794930) * I wasn’t disagreeing with you, I was merely asking for details. Which you’ve provided, thank you. 😉 * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794978) * And now they’ve been notified. We’ll keep an eye on it. * ETA: Emailing * > plugins AT wordpress.org * with this is preferred, by the way 🙂 There’s a small group of crazies who monitor that email and pick up these things. * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2794986) * Okay. Thanks. * Don’t you think there should be some specific open forum where these kinds of issues should be discussed. I have found many other plugins doing the same thing and violating the guidelines. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2795038) * Yes and no (it’s being actively discussed, but we’re not all in agreement about how best to do it). * Right now, in the interests of security and all, we take the emails for all guideline vios and security issues. Much of the time, a poke to the developers gets them in line. Sometimes they argue that they’re special princesses. Sometimes they actually have a legit reason and we’ll okay it. But, in my short experience helping with it, the tendency is for everyone to feel like there’s shouting or blaming or angry going on. * Text is a poor medium for conversations sometimes, and adding _more_ voices to the mix gets everyone’s anger up faster 🙂 * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2795139) * Another Update by the plugin owners, but there is no change in the output. * Thread Starter [Jatinder Pal Singh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/j_p_s/) * (@j_p_s) * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2795145) * No update from WordPress Plugin Team.. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2795146) * Hey. Will you chill out? * We aren’t monitoring the world 24/7. We’re _volunteers_. God forbid I wanna go to bed…. * ETA: I see no emails from you to plugins AT wordpress.org, like I asked you to do. So … yeah, no replies for you 🙂 Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total) The topic ‘WordPress.org Plugins Section Licensing Clarification’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [source-code](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/source-code/) * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/) * 15 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * Last activity: [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpressorg-plugins-section-licensing-clarification/#post-2795146) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics