# License Conflict: OnlyOffice vs. Euro-Office Fork
OnlyOffice developers have accused the Euro-Office team of violating the AGPLv3 license. Euro-Office is positioned as a rebranded fork tailored for European users, but the OnlyOffice creators discovered that key clauses had been removed from the license. Since 2021, the OnlyOffice license has included requirements to preserve the original logo and trademarks in derivative products. The fork stripped out these conditions, leaving only basic notes about the GUI and disclaimers.
The Euro-Office creators cite section 7 of AGPLv3, which permits removing additional restrictions. They argue that the logo is a trademark, not an authorship notice under 7(b), and that the trademark rights disclaimer duplicates 7(e). References to Ascensio System are treated as mere informational contacts.
OnlyOffice Lawyers' Stance
OnlyOffice lawyers maintain that derivative works must retain all conditions from the original license, including any additions. The rights to create forks stem solely from the license itself, and those rights are indivisible. The core dispute revolves around whether the logo qualifies as an "authorship notice" under AGPLv3. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) generally excludes logos from such requirements, viewing them as outside copyright notices.
This sets a precedent for open source projects using custom licenses. The developers are demanding restoration of the original clauses, threatening legal action otherwise.
Reasons Behind the Fork
The Euro-Office team attributes the fork to issues with contributing to upstream:
- Pull requests are ignored, and changes aren't merged.
- Build instructions are outdated.
- Decisions like disabling editing in the mobile app or removing the admin panel raise eyebrows.
- Lack of transparency: commits reference internal tickets, releases include binaries and obfuscated code.
- Comments are partly in Russian, and the mobile version incorporates proprietary components.
- Primary development happens in Russia, hindering collaboration for European teams.
These issues made meaningful contributions impossible, forcing them to fork.
Technical Details of OnlyOffice
OnlyOffice is a server-based office suite licensed under AGPLv3, featuring Community Server, Docs, and Groups. The additional license terms protect the brand:
- Preservation of the logo in derivative works.
- Explicit statement that trademark rights are not transferred.
- Mandatory mention of Ascensio System in contacts.
Removing these clauses alters the distribution terms, potentially undermining AGPLv3's copyleft principles. The fork retained the core functionality, but the rebranding sparked the conflict.
Key Takeaways
- License Violation: Stripping logo and trademark clauses is viewed as breaching the indivisible license rights.
- Section 7 AGPLv3: Allows removal of additional restrictions, but it's contentious for branding elements.
- Fork Precedent: FSF excludes logos from authorship notices.
- Fork Drivers: Development opacity and geographic hurdles.
- Implications: Potential lawsuits and eroded trust in OnlyOffice.
This case matters for mid- and senior-level developers working with AGPLv3 projects. Always review all additional terms before forking to sidestep disputes. The conflict underscores risks in multinational OSS teams.
— Editorial Team
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