Does GPL apply to the author as well?
Once I release a piece of software under GPL, does the license also apply to me? Is it possible to change the license at a later stage? Do I have to abide to the license terms if I am the author? Can I use the same software as a part of a closed source project at a later stage, because I am the author?
Is it possible to change the license at a later stage?
Yes if you are the only author, but the old version will still be available under GPL and anybody can modify it and produce a new variation under GPL.
Can I use the same software as a part of a closed source project at a later stage, because I am the author?
Yes, you can! In case when you're the author, you are free to reuse your code under whichever license you prefer, even commercial. Many companies do that: they offer a basic software package under GPL but also provide a closed-source version for those who wishes to change the software and use it in their closed-source projects.
Moreover, any other entity also can change GPL software while keeping it closed-source, provided that they do not distribute their modifications. For example, any company can fork you software and put it on hundreds of machines inside their organization and don't share their modifications with you or with anybody else.
There are rumors that Google runs a modified version of the Linux kernel for many years and do not share their modifications and improvements because these modified kernels run only on Google's own machines.
However, if they give their modified version to a third-party then GPL terms starts to apply and they have to share their modified version under GPL.
A friend just forwarded me this. It is essentially the same question about the rights of the author, and it has a full answer. In a nutshell, an author can do whatever they want with their code, but once a version is released under GPL, this particular version cannot be restricted any more.
Thanks to Андрей for clarifying the possibility of changing the license.
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