Re: Issues with how the GNU GPL is used for Linux (the kernel)

[Sam Liddicott]

Jan Braunisch wrote: If the code is Free Software under the GPL, may I only use GPL v2 as Linus says or am i allowed to use any version of the GPL if i want to redistribute it, according to "If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation." under section 9 of the GPL. No, the Authors clearly stated that only v2 applies for the kernel as a whole, again single files may be under a different license (GPL compatible), and so, some of them may be under a GPL version that allow them to be used with the future GPLv3 license. Again to determine it you should really contact the authors of the files and ask them. What if I take the kernel from before that notice was added? Then there would be nothing at all specifying that only the GPL v2 should be used. indeed.... and all those pro GPL3 developers can let you take their patches. The trouble is patches are often re-worked during application; whose patches are they then? I also would also like to poit out that the GPL under section 0 says: This License applies to any program or other work which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the terms of this General Public License. Such a notice is not present for most of the files in the kernel sorce. What if Torvalds would add want to relicense Linux under the GPL v3, could he change the COPYING file without the permission of all the people that have added code to the kernel without specifying a license? It was said that the COPYING file signifies the authors intentions. I think we need to ask if many of the kernel developers ever had any intention relating to gpl2/gpl3 at all. I've contributed snippets to the kernel under another name and I never had any particular intention. (Someone else signed them off, it was post-SCO) Sam

_______________________________________________
Discussion mailing list
Discussion@fsfeurope.org
https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion