[Discuss] "Getting Cute with the GPL"

[Daniel M. German]

An a maintainer of GPL software I don't see any pressing need to
switch to V3. In my opinion (at least for now) saying:

 *  version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

is enough. 

If anybody wants to fork and take it to version 3, I am fine with that
too.

dmg

 Alan W Irwin twisted the bytes to say:

 Alan> On 2006-11-16 16:22-0800 Thor Wolpert wrote:
 >> http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/1/25/273
 >> 
 >> Here's the link to Linus's statement that they are staying with GPL v2.  He 
 >> could always change his mind, but the current Linux Kernel is v2 and states 
 >> that it is only v2 and does not automatically change to v3.
 >> 
 >> So although interesting arguments, they are not too applicable for the kernel 
 >> at the moment.

 Alan> Your comment about GVPLv2 and Linus is correct, but the true situation is
 Alan> even more bizarre (from my POV) than that; Linus's anti-GVPLv3 stand is
 Alan> almost completely supported by virtually every kernel developer including
 Alan> Alan Cox who hitherto had the sense to be more aware of software freedom
 Alan> issues than Linus. The kernel developers really don't see any problem with
 Alan> what Tivio has done (making it impossible to exercise the four freedoms
 Alan> underlying the GPL on Tivio hardware through DRM).  Either they are correct
 Alan> and this legal loophole in GPLv2 will not be widely exploited or they are
 Alan> incorrect, and DRM will start biting them in the butt on their machines as
 Alan> their own four freedoms go down the tubes. For now, it is clear the kernel
 Alan> will remain GVPLv2, but expect that to rapidly change if a lot of DRM
 Alan> nonsense starts occurring on hardware that the kernel developers take
 Alan> seriously.

 Alan> The other important point is the vast majority of non-kernel software that
 Alan> is installed on our Linux systems is GPLed or LGPLed.  Think of all the GNU
 Alan> stuff in Linux.  Also think of GNOME and KDE (or even PLplot).  Each
 Alan> software project will have to make up its own mind about version two versus
 Alan> version three. Because Pamela Jones is a Linux user with a background in the
 Alan> law, and because she is such an enjoyable writer to read, she is going to
 Alan> have a strong influence on the outcome.  That's why I brought her most
 Alan> recent work at http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061116103031303 to
 Alan> this list's attention.  Enjoy!

 Alan> Alan
 Alan> __________________________
 Alan> Alan W. Irwin

 Alan> Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,
 Alan> University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).

 Alan> Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state implementation
 Alan> for stellar interiors (freeeos.sf.net); PLplot scientific plotting software
 Alan> package (plplot.org); the Yorick front-end to PLplot (yplot.sf.net); the
 Alan> Loads of Linux Links project (loll.sf.net); and the Linux Brochure Project
 Alan> (lbproject.sf.net).
 Alan> __________________________

 Alan> Linux-powered Science
 Alan> __________________________


--
Daniel M. German                  "A mind of moderate capacity
                                   which closely pursues one study
                                   must infallibly arrive
   Mary Shilley ->                 at great proficiency in that study."
http://turingmachine.org/
http://silvernegative.com/
dmg (at) uvic (dot) ca
replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .