From a749f38dee49add3334879633d7fd90a45162ad9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Bradley M. Kuhn" Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:30:53 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] Wrote section on two copylefts. --- gpl-lgpl.tex | 23 +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+) diff --git a/gpl-lgpl.tex b/gpl-lgpl.tex index b405127..b5aa4da 100644 --- a/gpl-lgpl.tex +++ b/gpl-lgpl.tex @@ -933,6 +933,29 @@ Section~\ref{GPlv3S14}. \section{Complexities of Two Simultaneously Popular Copylefts} +Obviously most GPL advocates would prefer widespread migration to GPLv3, and +many newly formed projects who seek a copyleft license tend to choose a +GPLv3-based license. However, many existing copylefted projects continue +with GPLv2-only or GPLv2-or-later as their default license. + +While GPLv3 introduces many improvements --- many of which were designed to +increase adoption by for-profit companies --- GPLv2 remains a widely used and +extremely popular license. The GPLv2 is, no doubt, a good and useful +license. + +However, unlike GPLv1, which (as pointed out in \S~\ref{GPLv1}), which is +completely out of use by the mid-1990s. However, unlike GPLv1 before it, +GPLv2 remains a integral part of the copyleft licensing infrastructure for +some time to come. As such, those who seek to have expertise in current +topics of copyleft licensing need to study both the GPLv2 and GPLv3 family of +licenses. + +Furthermore, GPLv3 can is more easily understood by first studying GPLv2. +This is not only because of their chronological order, but also because much +of the discussion material available for GPLv3 tends to talk about GPLv3 in +contrast to GPLv2. As such, a strong understanding of GPLv2 helps in +understanding most of the third-party material found regarding GPLv3. Thus, +the following chapter begins a deep discussion of GPLv2. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \chapter{GPLv2: Running Software and Verbatim Copying}