diff --git a/gpl-lgpl.tex b/gpl-lgpl.tex index 7e1171f..b405127 100644 --- a/gpl-lgpl.tex +++ b/gpl-lgpl.tex @@ -867,6 +867,69 @@ GPLv3 and its terms are discussed in detail in Chapter\~ref{GPLv3}. \section{The Innovation of Optional ``Or Any Later'' Version} +An interesting fact of all GPL licenses is that the are ultimate multiple +choices for use of the license. The FSF is the primary steward of GPL (as +discussed later in \S~\ref{GPLv2s9} and \S~\ref{GPLv2s14}). However, those +who wish to license works under GPL are not required to automatically accept +changes made by the FSF for their own copyrighted works. + +Each licensor may chose three different methods of licensing, as follows: + +\begin{itemize} + +\item explicitly name a single version of GPL for their work (usually + indicated in shorthand by saying the license is ``GPLv$X$-only''), or + +\item name no version of the GPL, thus they allow their downstream recipients + to select any version of the GPL they chose (usually indicated in shorthand + by saying the license is simply ``GPL''), or + +\item name a specific version of GPL and give downstream recipients the + option to chose that version ``or any later version as published by the + FSF'' (usually indicated by saying the license is + ``GPLv$X$-or-later'')\footnote{The shorthand of ``GPL$X+$'' is also popular + for this situation. The authors of this tutorial prefer ``-or-later'' + syntax, because it (a) mirrors the words ``or'' and ``later from the + licensing statement, (b) the $X+$ doesn't make it abundantly clear that + $X$ is clearly included as a license option and (c) the $+$ symbol has + other uses in computing (such as with regular expressions) that mean + something different.} +\end{itemize} + +\label{license-compatibility-first-mentioned} + +Oddly, this flexibility has received (in the opinion of the authors, undue) +criticism, primarily because of the complex and oft-debated notion of +``license compatibility'' (which is explained in detail in +\S~\ref{license-compatibility}). Copyleft licenses are generally +incompatible with each other, because the details of how they implement +copyleft differs. Specifically, copyleft works only because of its +requirement that downstream licensors use the \texit{same} license for +combined and modified works. As such, software licensed under the terms of +``GPLv2-only'' cannot be combined with works licensed ``GPLv3-or-later''. +This is admittedly a frustrating outcome. + +Other copyleft licenses that appeared after GPL, such +as the Creative Commons ``Share Alike'' licenses, the Eclipse Public License +and the Mozilla Public License \textbf{require} all copyright holders chosing +to use any version of those licenses to automatically accept and relicense +their copyrighted works under new versions. Of course ,Creative Commons, the +Eclipse Foundation, and the Mozilla Foundation (like the FSF) have generally +served as excellent stewards of their licenses. Copyright holders using +those licenses seems to find it acceptable that to fully delegate all future +licensing decisions for their copyrights to these organizations without a +second thought. + +However, note that FSF gives herein the control of copyright holders to +decide whether or not to implicitly trust the FSF in its work of drafting +future GPL versions. The FSF, for its part, does encourage copyright holders +to chose by default ``GPLv$X$-or-later'' (where $X$ is the most recent +version of the GPL published by the FSF). However, the FSF \textbf{does not + mandate} that a choice to use any GPL requires a copyright holder ceding +its authority for future licensing decisions to the FSF. In fact, the FSF +considered this possibility for GPLv3 and chose not to do so, instead opting +for the third-party steward designation clause discussed in +Section~\ref{GPlv3S14}. \section{Complexities of Two Simultaneously Popular Copylefts} @@ -2078,6 +2141,9 @@ So end the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License. \section{GPLv3 \S 6: Non-Source and Corresponding Source} +\section{Understanding License Compatibility} +\label{license-compatibility} + \section{GPLv3 \S 7: Explicit Compatibility} \section{GPLv3 \S 8: A Lighter Termination} @@ -2093,7 +2159,7 @@ So end the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License. \section{GPLv3 \S 13: The Great Affero Compromise} \section{GPLv3 \S 14: So, When's GPLv4?} - +\label{GPlv2s14} \section{GPLv3 \S 15--17: Warranty Disclaimers and Liability Limitation}