GNU GPL

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats...

Strengths, Opportunities
-GPL like other free licences, provides a platform to make sure that a piece of software is and will be distributed widely and freely.
-GPL implies that source code of the software should be available when this license is used, this makes compatibility in softwares easier to reach and the software becomes transparent in its content and function.
-free licenses try to benefit society rather than individuals.
-every new version of GPL is more covering and compatible with other free licenses.

- it emphasises on making reuse easy by providing a description, help file or any other mean that is necessary to read and use the code.(for example code can be encrypted but the key should be available to the user)
-modifications for private use is excluded from the hard rules.

weaknesses, threats
-Its emphasis on non proprietary distribution of software, is in its nature limiting. This imposes that software driven from an original piece with GPL license has to have GPL license. It can maximize the pool of freely available software but
-In version 3 it says GPL-protected software “shall not be deemed part of an effective technological measure under any applicable law” ; which is another "limitation" that is not in line with the philosophy of the freedom, although the "technological measure" is somehow tries to limit freedom itself.