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

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Message-ID: <r6lkek1u3z.fsf@inf-skye.phy.cam.ac.uk>
Date:	16 Jun 2007 04:00:32 +0100
From:	Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@...o.cam.ac.uk>
To:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:	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

>> "version 2 or higher"

> That phrase exists outside the license

That's true.  But sec. 9 of the GPLv2 says:

  If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you
  may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation.

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.  

My understanding is that courts would presume that a license term has
a meaning, if it has a plausible reading.  And there such a reading:
that to specify a version, there needs to be (e.g. in the source
files) a statement like, "This file [or work] is licensed under the
GNU GPLv2."

Corrections, flames, etc. are welcome.

-Sanjoy
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