On Thu, 24 May 2012, Rayson Ho wrote:
...
Not trying to launch any GPLv2 vs GPLv3 arguments here, but one of the
reasons why Linux can't be switched to a newer version of the license
is that Linus does not own the copyright.
Or it might have been because he didn't use the optional GPLv2 phrase "any
later version"...
This means lack of flexability in terms of licensing.
...
As we are stuck with SISSL, which is a retired open source license
(Sun killed it), we will miss the flexability moving forward.
There are at least two sides to this coin:
1) Assigning copyright to the project gives the flexibility to the
project, e.g. change to a better license, so that it can do what's right
in the future, even if the original author cannot be contacted.
2) The author keeping hold of their own copyright, but releasing code
under a copyleft license prevents the project from being taken
closed-source in the future, which may or may not be a worthwhile aim.
As SISSL covers over 500,000 lines of the code base, the project is never
going to be able to do (1) anyway.
Although (2) may not be a consideration now, I observe that companies get
bought and people at the top change.
What license are you using for new code, BTW?
...
or is that something else you're going to be announcing? I think even
the prince of darkness ^W^W^W^W Univa has been know to accept
contributions without copyright assignment.
I think they do need copyright assignment - and that is one of the
things we did not like at the beginning, ie. we did not want to
contribute code to open core projects.
...
I sent a bugfix in Univa's direction, and they just asked me to sign
something saying that I was the copyright holder and was licensing it to
them under the SISSL. Nothing was mentioned about copyright assignment.
[actually, that conversation with them went stale... must pick it up
again].
Mark
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Mark Dixon Email : m.c.di...@leeds.ac.uk
HPC/Grid Systems Support Tel (int): 35429
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University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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