All three of the most popular and established distributed version control tools (Bazaar, Git, and Mercurial) use the GNU General Public License (GPL). In contrast, Subversion uses the Apache License.

For Veracity, we have chosen to follow Subversion’s example in selecting the Apache License 2.0.

The GPL requires that all derived works also be made available under the GPL. This requirement means that GPL-licensed code cannot be used in proprietary software. The Apache License is more permissive about such things.

There is much controversy and debate over these matters. Many companies have concerns about using GPL software, especially in situations where customization and integration work is being done. While the validity of those concerns is in question, the bottom line is very simple: The Apache License is much friendlier to the corporate world than the GPL.