Licensing FAQ

UHD and RFNoC are publicly offered under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), and are also available under an alternative, less-restrictive license. For more details, please see the LICENSES PAGE ON ETTUS.COM.

This page contains some Frequently Asked Questions about these licenses. Please note that while we can provide guidance about our licensing model, you should make license decisions based on your own legal counsel.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Can I use the GPLv3-licensed version of UHD in my proprietary product?"

If you use the GPLv3-licensed version of UHD in your application, your application must then also be licensed under the GPLv3. If you want to create a proprietary product with Ettus Research HW / SW, you need to use the Alternative License, which was created specifically for this purpose.

"We are using the GPLv3-licensed version of UHD internally, but do not want to release our source code."

That's fine! The GPL only obligates sharing source code with an external party when they receive your application.

"We don't mind releasing our source code, but we need to make changes to UHD. Do we need the Alternative License?"

No, you do not need the Alternative License. The GPLv3-licensed version of UHD is perfect for this. It allows you to make changes to UHD as you wish, as long as you provide the source code for your "fork" of UHD to recipients of your application.

=== "We don't mind giving source code to our customers, but don't want to release it publicly. Do we need the Alternative License?"

It depends. The GPLv3 does not require you to release your source code publicly. It only requires you to provide your source code to anyone to whom you convey your application. Your application must be licensed under the GPLv3, though, so your customers would have the right to share the source code more broadly if they wished.