@ 17/06/2004 11:07 : wrote Thiemo Seufer :
Raul Miller wrote: > It's a compilation work.
Fine. The copyright for the compilation lies by the one who did the compilation. This is Linus Torvalds, I guess.
Thiemo
not here in BR. Or at least not in the way you _seem_ to be implying.
Let's just substitute the word "compilation" by the word "anthology", to avoid the obvious computer-related term:
The copyright for "the anthology" (the organization, selection and/or disposition of contents) _of_ _the_ _pristine_ kernel tree belongs to Linus Torvalds. The copyright for "the parts included in the anthology" belongs _only_ _to_ _their_ _authors_ except in the cases where some part is a derivative work of some other part.
This last case happens a lot, historically the first non-Linus patch is a derived work on the Linus-only kernel, so you have:
linux_v0 (last LinuS-only kernel) == (C) Linus Torvalds
patch_0 (first non-Linus patch) == (C) Kernel Contributor #0 + Linus Torvalds (it's a derivative work)
linux_v0p0 = linux_v0 + patch_0 [ IN THE LINUS FTP TREE ] ==> THE ANTHOLOGY CALLED Linux Kernel == (C) Linus Torvalds THE PARTS == some parts (C) Linus Torvalds and other parts (C) Linus Torvalds + Kernel Contributor #0
now let's say this combined kernel accepts as-is a BSD LKM for ppp, p.ex. *and* that it's licensed GPL-compatible 2-clause-BSD/MIT/X. say Linus includes this in its kernel tree.
now we have:
linux_v0p0ppp == linux_v0 + patch_0 + ppp ===> THE ANTHOLOGY CALLED Linux Kernel == (C) Linus Torvalds THE PARTS == some parts (C) Linus Torvalds, other parts (C) Regents of USC, and other parts (C) Linus Torvalds + Kernel Contributor #0
complicating a litlle bit more: Kernel Contributors #1, #2, and #3 patch respectively the kernel, patch_0, and ppp:
linux_v0p3ppp == linux_v0 + patch_0,1,2,3 + ppp ===> THE ANTHOLOGY CALLED Linux Kernel == (C) Linus Torvalds THE PARTS == some parts (C) Linus Torvalds [1], other parts (C) Regents of USC [2], other parts (C) Regents of USC + Kernel Contributor #3 [3], other parts (C) Linus Torvalds + Kernel Contributor #2 + Kernel Contributor #0 [4], and other parts (C) Linus Torvalds + Kernel Contributor #1 [5]
[1] the untouched kernel parts [2] the (untouched) ppp parts [3] the patched by patch_3 ppp parts [4] the patched by patch_0 and patch_2 kernel parts [5] the patched by patch_1 kernel parts
Easy, huh? extrapolate for ten+ years of patching and aggregating and you'll get where we are today.
-- br,M