Is Matlab's FileExchange compatible with the Affero GPL license?

Hi, I want to post the code from a research project in FileExchange under an Affero GPL license. I've seen files posted with no license or the BSD license. I don't want to use the BSD license, as I don't want to allow the code to be used in commercial projects.

Can Affero GPL be used in FileExchange? Is this compatible with the code being a Matlab program? What license is appliable in FileExchange in order to allow academic usage while restricting commercial usage?

Answer 1

[dpb]

Read

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/termsofuse.html

particularly (2.b.c)

[Antonio]

Thanks but this "Use of all software that you download from the Site (“Software”) is subject to the license terms of the applicable software license agreement for such Software. The applicable software license agreement will typically accompany or be provided at the time you download or otherwise access the Software." doesn't specify which are the applicable software license terms. For instance, I doubt that Affero GPL may be used with Matlab code that uses Matlab's libraries, I'm asking if I need to use something like LGPL.

[dpb]

But it does specify which -- it's the terms of the specific license placed on whatever is downloaded, presuming the uploader made such a specification. That's what "The applicable software license agreement will typically accompany or be provided at the time you download or otherwise access the Software." means.

In other words, you as the originator/donor state what the license terms are when you submit it by a license file, referencing some standard contract terms, whatever you choose as long as those terms don't violate some other TOU clause. After that, of course, like all the rest of open source stuff, you have only the good nature of the down-loader to follow those terms unless you just happen to catch somebody in the act of violating same as you have no direct control once it's uploaded as to who and/or when the submittal is downloaded for what purpose.

TMW has little to do with the site content other than hosting it and providing some relatively hands-off oversight of content that it isn't offensive or blatantly commercial or hits too closely to home in their pocketbook by providing an equivalent of, say, the NN Toolbox for nothing. Other than that, it is, as the Terms state, up to the poster as to what restrictions, if any, go with any submission.