linux-kernel - Re: [net-next PATCH v3 05/11] net: pcs: lynx: Convert to an MDIO driver

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Message-ID: <aBqhtl3m03J6pw3V@makrotopia.org>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2025 00:56:38 +0100
From: Daniel Golle <daniel@...rotopia.org>
To: Vladimir Oltean <vladimir.oltean@....com>
Cc: Sean Anderson <sean.anderson@...ux.dev>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Lunn <andrew+netdev@...n.ch>,
	"David S . Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	Eric Dumazet <edumazet@...gle.com>,
	Jakub Kicinski <kuba@...nel.org>, Paolo Abeni <pabeni@...hat.com>,
	Russell King <linux@...linux.org.uk>, upstream@...oha.com,
	Christian Marangi <ansuelsmth@...il.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Kory Maincent <kory.maincent@...tlin.com>,
	Heiner Kallweit <hkallweit1@...il.com>,
	Alexandre Belloni <alexandre.belloni@...tlin.com>,
	Alexandre Torgue <alexandre.torgue@...s.st.com>,
	Clark Wang <xiaoning.wang@....com>,
	Claudiu Manoil <claudiu.manoil@....com>,
	Ioana Ciornei <ioana.ciornei@....com>,
	Joyce Ooi <joyce.ooi@...el.com>,
	Madalin Bucur <madalin.bucur@....com>,
	Maxime Coquelin <mcoquelin.stm32@...il.com>,
	UNGLinuxDriver@...rochip.com, Wei Fang <wei.fang@....com>,
	imx@...ts.linux.dev, linux-stm32@...md-mailman.stormreply.com
Subject: Re: [net-next PATCH v3 05/11] net: pcs: lynx: Convert to an MDIO
 driver

On Wed, May 07, 2025 at 01:18:34AM +0300, Vladimir Oltean wrote:
> On Tue, May 06, 2025 at 06:03:35PM -0400, Sean Anderson wrote:
> > On 5/6/25 17:58, Vladimir Oltean wrote:
> > > Hello Sean,
> > > 
> > > On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 03:33:17PM -0400, Sean Anderson wrote:
> > >> diff --git a/drivers/net/pcs/pcs-lynx.c b/drivers/net/pcs/pcs-lynx.c
> > >> index 23b40e9eacbb..bacba1dd52e2 100644
> > >> --- a/drivers/net/pcs/pcs-lynx.c
> > >> +++ b/drivers/net/pcs/pcs-lynx.c
> > >> @@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
> > >> -// SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0+ OR BSD-3-Clause)
> > >> -/* Copyright 2020 NXP
> > >> +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
> > >> +/* Copyright (C) 2022 Sean Anderson <seanga2@...il.com>
> > >> + * Copyright 2020 NXP
> > >>   * Lynx PCS MDIO helpers
> > >>   */
> > >>  
> > >> -MODULE_DESCRIPTION("NXP Lynx PCS phylink library");
> > >> -MODULE_LICENSE("Dual BSD/GPL");
> > >> +MODULE_DESCRIPTION("NXP Lynx PCS phylink driver");
> > >> +MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
> > > 
> > > What's the idea with the license change for this code?
> > 
> > I would like to license my contributions under the GPL in order to
> > ensure that they remain free software.
> > 
> > --Sean
> 
> But in the process, you are relicensing code which is not yours.
> Do you have agreement from the copyright owners of this file that the
> license can be changed?
> 

I think there is a misunderstanding here.

Of course the licence for the file remains dual BSD-3-Clause and GPL-2.0+ up
to the change Sean wants to contribute. However, as he only permits GPL-2.0+
the file after applying the change would then only be covered by GPL-2.0+ and
no longer by BSD-3-Clause. Legally speaking there is no need to ask any of the
previous authors for permission because they already agreed on having the
code under GPL-2.0+ **OR** BSD-3-Clause, which means that everyone is free
to distribute it under GPL-2.0+ (which is already the case when distributing
it along with the Linux Kernel, obviously). Only netdev maintainers need to
agree to drop the BSD-3-Clause licence **from future versions including his
changes**, and there are obviously reasons for and against that.