vBulletin GNU Public License

[wilhem12]

Have you ever considered distributing vBulletin 5 with GNU Public License? For example, likeWordpress? I think that this is really a step in the right direction. What's the point of programming software and selling less? vBulletin is really a good brand and established. A free version would drive up the installations in millions. More coders would code for vBulletin. A new business for all! Everyone would benefit from it.

If I'm honest: how many useful plugins are there for vbulletin 5? Unfortunately less. If more coders are programming for vBulletin, vBulletin becomes more interesting for everyone.

Every new customer first looking for what plugins are there out. vBulletin is very good, but more plugins and addons make vBulletin more attractive.

What does the community think about it?

[In Omnibus]

I think there are already GNU licensed forum software platforms and vBulletin is never going to be one of them.

I also think you get what you pay for. Free software is free for a reason.

[Mark.B]

Thanks for your feedback.

There will never be a free version of vBulletin, and the software will always be managed via our own in-house licensing platform.

The problem with free versions is that you have to pay developers and support staff and other business overheads. People aren't doing this sort of thing for free.

[Wayne Luke]

The GNU Public License is incompatible with our software and business model. Thank you for the suggestion.

Even if we did end up with a free version in the future, it would be under a license more compatible with our software.