Understanding the AGPL-3.0 License
The four v1 packages (@helpers4/observable, @helpers4/promise, @helpers4/string,
@helpers4/url) were licensed under the
GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0).
Here’s a practical summary.
What is AGPL-3.0?
Section titled “What is AGPL-3.0?”AGPL-3.0 is a strong copyleft license. Unlike LGPL, it has no linking exception: incorporating AGPL-covered code into a larger work generally brings that combined work under AGPL too. It also adds one clause GPL and LGPL don’t have — network use counts as distribution: if you run a modified version on a server and let users interact with it remotely (a SaaS product, for example), you must offer them the corresponding source, even though you never shipped them a binary.
What you can do
Section titled “What you can do”- ✅ Use, study, and modify the source code
- ✅ Redistribute it, including commercially
- ✅ Run it, including as part of a network service
What you must do
Section titled “What you must do”| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Keep notices | Keep copyright and license notices for AGPL-covered code |
| Provide AGPL text | Include a copy of the AGPL license when distributing |
| Publish modifications | Modified AGPL-covered code, whether distributed as a binary or run as a network service, must have its corresponding source made available |
| License the combined work | Without a separate linking exception, a larger work that incorporates AGPL-covered code is generally itself subject to AGPL |
What you cannot do
Section titled “What you cannot do”- ❌ Remove or alter copyright/license notices
- ❌ Re-license AGPL-covered code as proprietary
- ❌ Run a modified version as a network service without offering its source to users
Why v2 moved to LGPL
Section titled “Why v2 moved to LGPL”This is the reason the license changed starting with v2: AGPL’s lack of a linking exception made the v1 packages a poor fit for closed-source or proprietary use — even just importing a function could, under a strict reading, pull the consuming application under AGPL. LGPL-3.0-or-later was chosen for v2 onward specifically to allow free use in proprietary and commercial projects while keeping modifications to the library itself copyleft.
Full license text
Section titled “Full license text”The complete license text is available at gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.
:::info Disclaimer This page is a human-readable summary and not a substitute for the full license text, and it does not constitute legal advice. If in doubt, refer to the official license or consult legal counsel. :::