Under User Pressure, SugarCRM Adopts GPLv3

StonyandCher writes "SugarCRM is to adopt version 3 of the GNU general public license for the next release of its open-source CRM software after coming under pressure from its user community to move away from its own Sugar Public License. 'We just think it's a great license,' said John Roberts, SugarCRM CEO and co-founder. 'It's more copyleft, more liberal and less restrictive than our current license.' He added that when the beta version of Sugar Community Edition 5.0 ships within two weeks, it will be licensed under GPLv3."

Comments

Re:GPL Converts.

[sepluv]

Was it really likely that someone was going to make a tivo-like device and lock it down, requiring the user to only use the SugarCRM that was provided? Even if you can't be bothered reading TFA you could at least read the first sentence of the story which makes it clear that they weren't moving from GPLv2 but their own custom license.

I wrote about this yesterday

[MarkWatson]

The old SugarCRM license had an advertising requirement that required a large advertisement on every page. One of my old customers ended up not using SugarCRM because of this.

Good also to see even wider GPL v3 adoption!

Re:OSI

[sepluv]

I've looked this up and here is the OSI post you're probably thinking of, by their president, Michael Tiemann.

The OSI (who I should make clear I definitely don't support) were not, as you say, complaining because SugarCRM hadn't payed them money but because the old license clearly didn't follow the OSI open source definition, the FSF free software definition, or the Debian Free Software Guidelines (due to various issues including an advertising clause that was worse than the old BSD one).

OSI were also not claiming a legal right to stop this, but, I think, more that the industry and customers should deem it unacceptable (and maybe even, although he doesn't say it, pursuing a case for false advertising).

Thanks but No thanks.

[Lumpy]

Sugar CRM Open source is great until you want to use it with Outlook integration. Then their outlook plugin costs you a arm and leg per PC and does not work with the Open source version.

We completely switched to http://www.vtiger.com/ as it's 100% open source including the Outlook and office integration.

Yeah, I would prefer that we dont use Look-out and orfice at work, but teaching sales people slightly different tasks is like having a spike driven through your skull.

Re:Thanks but No thanks.

[ScorpFromHell]

And for those who do not want PHP (I, personally, am not averse to PHP, so pls don't flame me) or otherwise too, can look at openCRX. It is a J2EE based app & can be built for high scalability. To change its code though you need to know UML! Its built on openMDX, an open source MDA tool. Only, I haven't been able to figure out which open source UML tool is right for working with the UML they provide.

Re:Why V3?

[Carewolf]

GPLv3 is a new, better and improved version of GPLv2 (should be obvious, shouldn't it?)

Re:Cognitive dissonance?

[Hatta]

Not at all. Copyleft prevents you from taking away the rights of others, it also prevents others from taking away your rights. In this way it is less restrictive. The only restriction is on the restrictions. Would you say the 13th amendment made us more or less free? The GPL is exactly analogous.

Re:That's nice and all, but WTF does SugarCRM do?

[ScorpFromHell]

Its a CRM app ... so it means that it does stuff to help out the sales guys, the marketing folks & the support blokes. So now you know which types of application you should (not?) be working upon if you are pissed off with those calls (both that you receive as well as the ones that you have to make sometimes *gasp*)

Accounts, Contacts, Calendar, Activities, Products, Pricing, Leads, Opportunities, Quotes, Orders, Incidents, Service Requests, etc. are some of the features available in most CRM applications.