[TriLUG] GPLv3 -- What do you think?

[Rick DeNatale]

On 3/15/06, Joseph Tate <dragonstrider at gmail.com> wrote:

> Um, the GPL itself in paragraph 9 allows the user (not the
> contributors) to use any "later" version of the gpl, so getting the
> contributors to agree is irrelevant.  Code authors restricting the
> license to v2.0 is impossible.  That's my reading however, and the
> standard disclaimers apply.

Not at all impossible. Here's section 9 of GPL V2 in its entirety.
It's actually two paragraphs and the second is the important one here:

9.  The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of
     the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will be
     similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in
detail to address
     new problems or concerns.

     Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program
     specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any
     later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions
     either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
     Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number
     of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free
     Software Foundation.

So if the program using the GPL specifies a version of the GPL it
certainly can restrict the license to v2.0.

Linus Torvalds maintains that this means that unless a program
explicitly states that it is licensed under GPL v2.0 OR ANY LATER
VERSION then later versions can not be applied.  He also states that
the source code has always been marked as being licensed under GPL
V2.0
http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/1/25/273

--
Rick DeNatale

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