Re: GPL V3 and Linux [LWN.net]

From:		Alan Cox <alan-AT-lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:		Patrick McLean <pmclean-AT-cs.ubishops.ca>
Subject:		Re: GPL V3 and Linux
Date:		Fri, 20 Jan 2006 19:45:10 +0000
Cc:		Stephen Hemminger <shemminger-AT-osdl.org>, linux-kernel-AT-vger.kernel.org
Archive-link:		Article, Thread

On Gwe, 2006-01-20 at 14:34 -0500, Patrick McLean wrote:
> I don't think the kernel is going to move to v3, it's licensed 
> specifically as v2, this is from the top of COPYING:

It may well do, or bits of it may well do but it is rather early to
speculate.

>  >  Also note that the only valid version of the GPL as far as the kernel
>  >  is concerned is _this_ particular version of the license (ie v2, not
>  >  v2.2 or v3.x or whatever), unless explicitly otherwise stated.
> 
> Also, given that several of the copyright holders in the kernel are 
> dead, I don't think we will be able to obtain permission.

It isn't clear that this will be a problem. Very few people specifically
put their code v2 only, and Linus edit of the top copying file was not
done with permission of other copyright holders anyway so really only
affects his code if it is valid at all.

What finally happens is going to depend almost entirely on whether the
GPL v3 is a sane license or not and on consensus, and it is *way* too
early to figure that out.

(Log in to post comments)