linux-kernel - Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-Id: <E1HzYqk-0001aI-00@skye.ra.phy.cam.ac.uk>
Date:	Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:01:58 +0100
From:	Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@...o.cam.ac.uk>
To:	Krzysztof Halasa <khc@...waw.pl>
cc:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Carlo Wood <carlo@...noe.com>,
	Alexandre Oliva <aoliva@...hat.com>,
	Jeremy Maitin-Shepard <jbms@....edu>,
	Sean <seanlkml@...patico.ca>, Adrian Bunk <bunk@...sta.de>,
	Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu, Daniel Hazelton <dhazelton@...er.net>,
	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>, Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>,
	debian developer <debiandev@...il.com>, david@...g.hm,
	Tarkan Erimer <tarkan@...one.net.tr>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>, mingo@...e.hu
Subject: Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3 

Krzysztof Halasa <khc@...waw.pl> writes:
> > So, by making the COPYING contain the v2 text, is the author
> > specifying a particular version?  If yes, then the sec. 9 provision
> > would be meaningless, since there would be no way to not specify a
> > version number.
> 
> Of course the "published under terms of GPL." would do.

It would do, if you could stop there and say no more.  But:

  You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source
  code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you...give any
  other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the
  Program.  [GPLv2, section 1]

So you have to give recipients the license text from a particular
version of the GPL.  To make that the only version unde which the work
is licensed, you have to add something like "Licensed under the
GPLv2".  Otherwise sec. 9 says that you offer the work under any
version of the GPL, and the licensee can take his or her pick -- even
using v1 (!).

-Sanjoy
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/