Journal tomhudson's Journal: FSF pushing anti-linux FUD 1
An article on ITWorld claims that the FSF is using FUD to try to get linux developers to switch from the GPLv2 to GPLv3. I was skeptical, but sure enough, a quick hop to the FSF website shows it's true. it's right there in a post titled Android GPLv2 termination worries: one more reason to upgrade to GPLv3
I sent the following email to Brett Smith, the author of the article in question:
Hi:
In an article posted on the fsf website, you wrote the following:
Companies that sell products that use Android can help out by encouraging the developers of Linux to make the switch to GPLv3.
Unlike most GPL-licensed software, linux is licensed as "GPL version 2", not "GPL version 2, or at your option any later version".
Linux simply cannot ever be switched to GPLv3 without a significant rewrite, because at least some of the people whose code is in linux are now dead, and others will refuse because they have no problem with GPLv2 license terms.
This has been pointed out time and again. Under copyright law - which is the basis of the GPL - Linus doesn't have the ability or the right to take code written and owned by other people, that was licensed by them exclusively under the GPLv2, and change the license to "GPLv2 or later".
It would almost be easier (and would certainly avoid the whole "derived works" problem) to switch to BSD. Fortunately, there is no need to consider that - the "problem" of forever losing the right to redistribute even after you are back in compliance simply doesn't exist.
The only requirement for being allowed to redistribute under the GPLv2 is that you are currently in compliance with the license, and this is how everyone except the "usual suspects" have been treating it on a case-by-case level. There is simply nothing in the GPLv2 license to prevent someone who is currently in compliance from redistributing, and it is in nobody's interest to imply otherwise.
Unfortunately, your article has already attracted the attention of people, and is generating FUD around Linux usage, as "proof" that Linux is unsafe for business.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
--
Barbara Hudson
Chalk this up as one more reason not to assign copyright when you contribute code to a project..
.
FSF website now down (Score:2)