The Open Source License That Can Void Your IP
Embedding GPL-licensed code can force your entire codebase to become open source. Most founders don't find out until due diligence. Here's how to check before it becomes a deal-breaker.
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Transcript
If you ship a product with GPL-licensed code embedded in it, you may be required to open source everything that code touches. That's not a technicality — it's how the license works. Most founders don't realize they've included GPL until an acquirer's legal team finds it during due diligence. By then, it's a problem you're negotiating around instead of fixing.
License risk depends on which license the library uses. MIT, Apache 2.0, and BSD are permissive — you can include them, keep your code proprietary, and ship. GPL, LGPL, and AGPL have copyleft requirements that vary in how far they propagate. AGPL is the most aggressive: using AGPL software over a network can trigger the requirement to publish your source. Proprietary licenses need case-by-case review — sometimes they allow commercial use, sometimes they don't. The decision point is which type you're dealing with.
Three things to check before you ship, and definitely before you fundraise. Audit your direct dependencies and their transitive dependencies — the license risk can be two levels deep. Use a tool like FOSSA, Snyk, or license-checker to automate it. And if you find GPL in something you're distributing, replace it or get a commercial license. The fix is usually straightforward when you catch it early.