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The usual disclaimers apply (i.e. "I'm not a lawyer"), but... I am absolutely positive that: If you're just using a GPL'ed tool to manage your code or your workflow (for example, source control) but your code doesn't actually need the tool to function, then you are not required to apply the GPL license to your own code and share it. On the other hand, if you incorporate a GPL'ed library into your code or if you link your code to it (for example, using the GPL package from VIPM), you are required to apply the GPL license to your own code and share it. Your IT department has misunderstood (or is misrepresenting) the GNU GPL. Wrong. Using a GPL'ed tool for source control does not make your code dependent on the tool. Thus, you are not required to apply the GPL license to your code and you don't have to share it. Here are some examples in industry: The source code for Microsoft Windows is now managed under Git (https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/24/microsoft-now-uses-git-and-gvfs-to-develop-windows/). Git is under the GPL license (https://git-scm.com/about/free-and-open-source), but Microsoft is not required to apply the GPL to the Windows source code. National Instruments uses Linux Real-Time in many of its devices, such as CompactRIOs. Linux is under the GPL license, but... NI is not required to apply the GPL to the CompactRIO software's source code. If you write software to run on a Linux-based CompactRIO, you are not required apply the GPL to your source code. (Side note that is irrelevant to your main issue, but is still useful to know: SVN is not licensed under the GNU GPL! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Subversion Rather, it uses the Apache license, which is more permissive than GPL. Apache-licensed code is permitted in commercial/proprietary code. It is the TortoiseSVN client that is GPL: https://tortoisesvn.net/docs/release/TortoiseSVN_en/tsvn-preface-source.html ) Correct. Your code uses the GPL'ed VIPM package as a library, so your code must also be licensed under the GPL, which means you must make your source code available to your users.