GLOSSARY
What is GNU AGPL?
GNU AGPL is the GNU Affero General Public License, a strong copyleft open source license whose network clause can reach software running in production behind a service. This glossary entry defines it plainly for enterprises and flags why it deserves attention.
Commercial and licensing risk advisory, not legal advice.
Definition
GNU AGPL stands for the GNU Affero General Public License. It is a strong copyleft open source license published by the Free Software Foundation, and unlike source available licenses such as the Server Side Public License and the Business Source License, the GNU AGPL is OSI approved open source. Its defining feature is the network clause. Under most copyleft licenses, the obligation to share source is triggered when you distribute the software to others. The GNU AGPL adds a further trigger: if you run a modified version and make it available to users over a network, you must offer those users access to the corresponding source. That extension is what sets the AGPL apart and what makes it consequential for any organization that runs software behind a service.
Why it matters to enterprises
The reason the GNU AGPL deserves a place on any license risk map is that its trigger can fire without a traditional distribution event. Many enterprises assume copyleft obligations only arise when they ship software to customers. The network clause changes that. If an AGPL component is modified and exposed to users over a network, the obligation to make the corresponding source available can attach even though the software was never handed to anyone in the conventional sense. For a business that runs services, that is exactly the pattern in play. An AGPL library buried in a production service, especially one that has been modified, can carry an obligation that no one intended to take on.
This is why AGPL components are worth identifying during any dependency review and worth flagging to counsel. The exposure is not a reason to avoid the license everywhere, but it is a reason to know precisely where AGPL code runs, whether it has been modified, and how it is exposed.
How it relates to the SSPL
The GNU AGPL is the conceptual ancestor of the Server Side Public License. When several vendors concluded that the AGPL did not reach far enough for their commercial aims, they turned to the SSPL, which builds on the AGPL idea but extends the source obligation much further and is not OSI approved open source. Understanding the AGPL therefore helps you read the SSPL, which we cover in the context of hosted services in MongoDB SSPL and service providers. For a related copyleft term, see the glossary entry on what is LGPL, and browse the full open source license risk glossary for the surrounding vocabulary.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask.
What is GNU AGPL?
GNU AGPL is the GNU Affero General Public License, a strong copyleft open source license. Its defining feature is the network clause: if you run modified AGPL software and let users interact with it over a network, you must offer those users the corresponding source. It is OSI approved open source, unlike source available licenses such as the SSPL and BSL.
How is the AGPL different from the GPL?
The GPL triggers its source sharing obligation on distribution of the software. The GNU AGPL adds a network trigger, so that offering the software to users over a network counts as the kind of conveyance that requires you to make the source available. That closes the so called application service provider gap in the GPL.
Why does the AGPL matter for enterprises?
The network clause can reach software running in production behind a service. If an AGPL component is modified and exposed to users over a network, the obligation to provide source can attach even though nothing was distributed in the traditional sense. That makes AGPL components worth identifying and reviewing with counsel.
Is the AGPL the same as the SSPL?
No. The GNU AGPL is OSI approved open source. The Server Side Public License is based on the AGPL but extends the obligation much further and is not OSI approved open source. Several vendors adopted the SSPL precisely because they considered the AGPL insufficient for their commercial aims.
FIND YOUR COPYLEFT EXPOSURE
Know where AGPL code runs in production.
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