linux-kernel - Re: Would like to form a pool of Linux copyright holders for faster GPL enforcement against Anthrax Kernels

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Date:	Sat, 18 May 2013 19:27:21 +0100
From:	"luke.leighton" <luke.leighton@...il.com>
To:	Eric Appleman <erappleman@...il.com>
Cc:	legal@...ts.gpl-violations.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Would like to form a pool of Linux copyright holders for faster
 GPL enforcement against Anthrax Kernels

On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 8:24 AM, Eric Appleman <erappleman@...il.com> wrote:
> Would anyone be interested in forming such a pool?

 count me in.

> Last I checked, I have 1 long-time poster of this list on board. Would
> anyone else like to join? Ideally I'd like to get the LKML (which I have
> CC'd) involved so that authors of critical Linux components be a part of
> this. I'm not sure if my defconfig commits to Android kernel branches count
> as contributions,

 even if you did not explicitly put "Copyright (C) {your name}" in
them, you still retain copyright.  depending on the country you are in
you cannot even get rid of the copyright even if you say "i forever
renounce irrevocably and without restriction or limitation all
copyright and place this into the public domain signed me" - you have
to actively assign the copyright to someone else.

> so I'm not going to consider myself a Linux contributor
> unless told otherwise.

 you wrote something that's copyrighted.  therefore you're a copyright
holder [therefore automatically any copyright violator must request
your permission to have their GPLv2 license rights reinstated].

 my linux kernel modifications are small, too - they sort of winged
their way by a slow process of migration into tmpfs by way of selinux
xattrs.  and there are likely some unattributed contributions that
came from the xanadux.sf.net project originally (depending on whether
they were picked up or not over time)

 but that makes no odds: i am still a copyright holder, ergo a
contributor, ergo i'd like to be included in the pool please.

> This pool would be used in the following manner:
>
> * Formally requesting source for binaries (means to request source
> * Formally requesting removal of critical copyrighted code that Linux cannot
> function without
> * Informing interested parties with respect to refusals of the above

 it would also serve as a useful point of contact for criminal
copyright violators wishing to have their license rights reinstated.

 also it would serve as a good starting point to be able to contact
large numbers of people wishing to explicitly dual-license their code
contributions to the linux kernel.

 actually, that's a good point.  please can it be specifically noted,
from this moment onwards, that all contributions that i have made to
the linux kernel are dual-licensed under both the GPLv2 and also the
GPLv3+ license?

someone has to start somewhere on this.  it doesn't matter if it takes
20 years for all GPLv2-exlusive contributions to be made obselete,
deleted or replaced: a start has to be made.

question: what is the procedure for having that licensing explicitly
added to the linux kernel sources?

l.
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