linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v9 1/6] LICENSES: Add the copyleft-next-0.3.1 license

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Message-ID: <CAC1cPGz3ARW_H9cq6LY0_h3YXomMmSdVR1v1+xEYbshtK8Mvmw@mail.gmail.com>
Date:   Tue, 24 May 2022 09:59:22 -0400
From:   Richard Fontana <rfontana@...hat.com>
To:     Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Cc:     Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@...nel.org>, tj@...nel.org,
        Greg KH <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
        akpm@...ux-foundation.org, jeyu@...nel.org,
        Shuah Khan <shuah@...nel.org>, bvanassche@....org,
        dan.j.williams@...el.com, joe@...ches.com, keescook@...omium.org,
        rostedt@...dmis.org, minchan@...nel.org,
        linux-spdx@...r.kernel.org, linux-doc@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-block@...r.kernel.org, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-kselftest@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Goldwyn Rodrigues <rgoldwyn@...e.com>,
        Kuno Woudt <kuno@...b.nl>,
        Richard Fontana <fontana@...rpeleven.org>,
        copyleft-next@...ts.fedorahosted.org,
        Ciaran Farrell <Ciaran.Farrell@...e.com>,
        Christopher De Nicolo <Christopher.DeNicolo@...e.com>,
        Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>,
        Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
        Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v9 1/6] LICENSES: Add the copyleft-next-0.3.1 license

On Mon, May 23, 2022 at 5:10 PM Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Oct 29 2021 at 11:44, Luis Chamberlain wrote:
> > preferred. A summary of benefits why projects outside of Linux might
> > prefer to use copyleft-next >= 0.3.1 over GPLv2:
> >
> <snip>
> >
> > o copyleft-next has a 'built-in or-later' provision
>
> Not convinced that this is a benefit under all circumstances, but that's
> a philosopical problem. The real problem is this:
>
> > +Valid-License-Identifier: copyleft-next-0.3.1
>
> and
>
> > +11. Later License Versions
> > +
> > +    The Copyleft-Next Project may release new versions of copyleft-next,
> > +    designated by a distinguishing version number ("Later Versions").
> > +    Unless I explicitly remove the option of Distributing Covered Works
> > +    under Later Versions, You may Distribute Covered Works under any Later
> > +    Version.
>
> If I want to remove this option, then how do I express this with a SPDX
> license identifier?

Probably off-topic but: I think as things currently stand in SPDX you
would have to use an ad hoc LicenseRef- identifier to express the
entirety of copyleft-next-0.3.1 coupled with an amendment that sort of
strikes the later versions provision. This issue is also somewhat
relevant: https://github.com/spdx/spdx-spec/issues/153

FWIW, built-in 'or-later' clauses are actually common in copyleft open
source licenses; the GPL family is the oddity here. (Then again, the
whole idea of a downstream license upgradability option is sort of
unusual in the bigger scheme of things, but that's another topic.)

Richard