[gentoo-amd64] Re: Sun and GPL

[Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>]

"Boyd Stephen Smith Jr." <bss03@volumehost.net> posted
200705280542.32246.bss03@volumehost.net, excerpted below, on  Mon, 28 May
2007 05:42:32 -0500:

>> So, Duncan's idea of dual-licensing the kernel under GPL v2/v3 until
>> all bits of kernel code written by non-agreeing parties are removed
>> would not work.
> 
> Right, but Linus could take the stance that all new submission have to
> be licenced (to him) under GPLv2/GPLv3 and then one there's no
> GPLv2-only code left, release a kernel under GPLv3.  Until the point
> where there's no GPLv2 only code, Linus could only release the whole
> work under GPLv2, but everyone would know the transition was in the
> works.

That's basically what I had in mind, yes.  Only I (inadvertently) took a 
logical shortcut while explaining it, and Richard obviously didn't follow 
me when I veered off.  =8^\  That's the whole reason it couldn't simply 
be made GPLv3 in an instant, however.  New code (and presumably the old 
code from all currently active contributors who agreed and continued to 
contribute) would instantly be dual-licensed, so it could use the old 
GPLv2 only code with the GPLv2 license, while the GPLv3 license remained 
in place but basically unused until all the GPLv2 only code was removed, 
at which point the GPLv2 dual license could be dropped off the new code 
as well (tho anyone wanting it could get it under GPLv2 could get it 
under that last dual licensed snapshot, until further new GPLv3 only code 
was added, anyway).  Finally, the kernel was GPLv2 and later for quite 
some time, the GPLv2 only being a relatively new development as well.  
Thus, anything in the last GPL2 or later snapshot could immediately be 
upgraded to GPLv2/v3 as well.  All told, within a few months, the large 
majority could be dual-licensed.  It's just that last 20, 10, 5, 2, 1%, 
as an increasing focus is placed on the issue, that's the sticking point, 
and that could ultimately cause the switchover to take five years or so.

Still, it's doable, just over some significant time and with some 
substantial effort required.

Thanks for pointing that out, Richard, and Boyd for clarifying what I 
meant.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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