Survey: Open Source Developers Welcome GPL v3 Draft 3

Open source software provider OpenLogic last week announced the results of a survey focusing on the most recent draft of the GPLv3 (General Public License).

The survey results indicate that OpenLogic Expert Community members are positive toward the most recent GPLv3 draft. Seventy-one percent of respondents who currently use the GPLv2 said they would support moving projects they work with to the GPLv3 when the final draft comes out.

Three to One in Favor

The poll was conducted among OpenLogic Expert Community members in the days following the release of draft 3 of GPLv3. Many of the forty-five Expert Community members who responded participate in more than one open source project.

Among those who voiced an opinion, three to one expressed the belief that GPLv3 is good for open source.

Overall Findings

• 50 percent of the respondents said GPLv3 is good for open source.
• 29.5 percent were not sure.
• 15.9 percent said GPLv3 is not good for open source.

GPLv3 Draft 3 Concerns

• 57 percent were concerned about provisions around patent issues.
• 57 percent were concerned about provisions around digital rights management.
• 43 percent were concerned about provisions around the use of GPL-covered programs in consumer devices.

Views of GPLv2 Developers

• 71 percent would be in favor of some or all of these projects moving to GPLv3.
• 77 percent thought that it would take a year or less for their projects to move to GPLv3 once the final version of GPLv3 was released.