[Sugar-devel] [IAEP] ANNOUNCE: Moving Sugar to GPLv3+

[Martin Langhoff]

On Fri, Apr 22, 2011 at 12:54 PM, C. Scott Ananian <cscott at laptop.org> wrote:
> Yes, you seem to be confused Bernie.  You can redistribute under a
> license however you like, usually without explicitly stating it.  But
> if you alter the source files or replace COPYING, you are *changing
> the license*.  That is a different act.

You are right but in practice in this case there isn't much difference.

Anybody, following GPLv2, can just redistribute it under GPLv3, and
you *could* track each file as to GPLv2, v3, or mixed. But that would
be a lot of bureaucracy that wouldn't help anyone -- anybody
interested in GPLv2 sources should just go to the last commit or
release under v2.

> A more passive-aggressive means to your end might be to announce that
> SugarLabs will only accept new contributions which are licensed
> GPLv3+.  That will effect the redistribution change you want, while
> still (a) pissing off parts of the community, and (b) not illegally
> altering the license on code you do not own.

Honestly, option b is rather annoying if relevant authors/owners of
the copyright aren't in agreement. But it has notthing illegal.

The "copyright lines" are advisory only, and nonbinding. Of course,
courts look unfavourably upon knowing infringers that remove (as upon
anyone found hiding evidence) them but they aren't sacred in the
normal course of things.

cheers,


m
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