Re: [gentoo-dev] Watch out for license changes to GPL-3.

[Richard Freeman <rich@thefreemanclan.net>]

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Seemant Kulleen wrote:
> If you can really show some way that GPL3 provides a compelling case
> to move to it, then we can start talking about that.
> 

I wasn't aware that gentoo practiced copyright assignment.  You might
want to make the disclaimers clear - if somebody submits a patch on
bugzilla and doesn't expressly assign copyright they would legally
retain it unless it were a clear condition of using the site.  Also, it
would help avoid people submitting patches that aren't
GPL-2-only-compatible from other projects.  But then again, I'm not a
lawyer...  :)

I guess one reason to move would be that it is the goal of the FSF for
this to become the "default" GPL.  So, if there was a compelling case
for adopting the GPL at all (one presumes there was since we're GPL
currently), then there is a case for migrating to GPL v3 by that virtue
alone.  Does that mean that we HAVE to?  Certainly not.

I'd ask the question why we're GPL at all?  If the reason is because we
generally agree with the principles of free software and copyleft, then
the GPL v3 is only an improvement over the GPL.  If we don't really like
copyleft as an organization then it would make more sense to just adopt
BSD, rather than stick with a copyleft license that just has a few
loopholes in it.

In terms of pros/cons with GPLv2 you'd have compatibility with GPL3 and
GPL2+ licenses, as well as the the Affero GPL.  There is of course the
closing of the tivoization loophole, and that can be considered a pro or
a con depending on your personal beliefs.  However, if you really are
pro-tivoization, then why use the GPL at all?

Oh, there exists another option - we could also relicense as GPL2 or 3 -
that gets rid of the "what if it changes to something bad" issue while
allowing others to adopt the code under either license.
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