Comments | tivolovers: The GPLv3 was released today

zonereyrie in tivolovers

The GPLv3 was released today - is TiVo doomed?

Jun 29, 2007 18:15

Yep, the GNU General Public License, version 3, was released today. The GPL is the license that governs a large proportion of open source projects, under its (until today) current v2 form. This includes the Linux kernel ( Read more... )

linux, gpl

Comments 5

davmoo June 30 2007, 06:27:53 UTC

My personal opinion is that the main effect on the computing world of GPLv3 will be to make the various BSDs a lot more popular with system designers. And I also predict that over the next few months we're going to see a whole lota forkin' goin' on.

unteins June 30 2007, 06:33:15 UTC

It is my understanding that the kernel could be changed to GPL v3 with no effort whatsoever, whether or not Linus likes it or not.

As I recall, code released under GPL may be distributed with the version of the GPL the code was originally licensed under OR any future version of the GPL. It doesn't require a GPL upgrade, but it does allow it. Meaning that you could package up all of the kernel code and release it under GPL v3 with no problems.

I am, of course, not a lawyer :)

zonereyrie June 30 2007, 06:55:30 UTC

Nope.

While the standard GPLv2 has a clause that says something like "this license or future versions", Linus explicitly removed that clause when he developed Linux. The Linux kernel license is explicitly GPLv2 *only*.

"Future Versions"? severoon July 2 2007, 23:52:24 UTC

I would find it hard to believe that clause in the original license could be help up in court. It'd be like licensing something under the SPL ("severoon public license"):You are totally ok to do whatever with stuff under this here license, but if I decide to change my mind tomorrow with the next version-which you're bound by-you're totally screwed because I'll prolly take it all over for myself.
You'll notice from the distinct lack of legalese, however, that I too am not a lawyer.

:-)

Re: "Future Versions"? zonereyrie July 3 2007, 00:20:28 UTC

The wording of the license is obviously not so simple, but that's the gist. And the way the license works you cannot do what you suggest, you can't remove liberties that way. Basically the GPL is structured to always force any changes to it to be more open.