From: Andre Hedrick <andre@linux-ide.org>
To: Jason Kingsland <Jason_Kingsland@hotmail.com>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>, Hua Zhong <hzhong@cisco.com>,
"'Arjan van de Ven'" <arjanv@redhat.com>,
Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu,
"'Kendall Bennett'" <KendallB@scitechsoft.com>,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 14:49:04 -0800 (PST) [thread overview]
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.10.10312101447140.3805-100000@master.linux-ide.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <BAY7-DAV22X5pJQqIVp000081d4@hotmail.com>
Jason,
Nice bit of research! Hat tip to you, just close your eyes so the glare
off my balding head does not blind you :-)
This is so much fun!
Cheers,
Andre Hedrick
LAD Storage Consulting Group
On Wed, 10 Dec 2003, Jason Kingsland wrote:
>
> "Andre Hedrick" wrote:
>
> > How can the additional words alter the mean of GPL itself?
>
> Because if the additional words in the license predate the publishing date
> of the code, they form a valid part of the license for that code as
> published.
>
>
> So the answer to whether such a clause in valid and enforceable (rather than
> just Linus' opinion) depends on when any particular piece of code was first
> submitted publicly into the kernel tree, who the copyright holder is
> (usually the author) and hence which license prevailed at the time the code
> was first published.
>
> Later changes to a license are not retroactive to earlier publications
> unless the original copyright holder agrees - as only the copyright holder
> can change the terms of any license after publication.
>
> The readme for Linux version 0.1 had the copyright owned by Linus and was
> not licensed under GPL at all:
>
> "
> This kernel is (C) 1991 Linus Torvalds, but all or part of it may be
> redistributed provided you do the following:
>
> - Full source must be available (and free), if not with the
> distribution then at least on asking for it.
>
> - Copyright notices must be intact. (In fact, if you distribute
> only parts of it you may have to add copyrights, as there aren't
> (C)'s in all files.) Small partial excerpts may be copied
> without bothering with copyrights.
>
> - You may not distibute this for a fee, not even "handling" costs.
> "
>
> This changed in Version 0.12 with the following statement of intent:
>
> "
> The Linux copyright will change: I've had a couple of requests to make
> it compatible with the GNU copyleft, removing the "you may not
> distribute it for money" condition. I agree. I propose that the
> copyright be changed so that it confirms to GNU - pending approval of
> the persons who have helped write code. I assume this is going to be no
> problem for anybody: If you have grievances ("I wrote that code assuming
> the copyright would stay the same") mail me. Otherwise The GNU copyleft
> takes effect as of the first of February. If you do not know the gist
> of the GNU copyright - read it.
> "
>
> The next major release was v0.95 in March 1992 which contained a reference
> to GPL with this clarification:
>
> "
> NOTE! The linux unistd library-functions (the low-level interface to
> linux: system calls etc) are excempt from the copyright - you may use
> them as you wish, and using those in your binary files won't mean that
> your files are automatically under the GNU copyleft. This concerns
> /only/ the unistd-library and those (few) other library functions I have
> written: most of the rest of the library has it's own copyrights (or is
> public domain). See the library sources for details of those.
> "
>
> For release 0.99 the clarification was missing, with just a standard GPL V2
> being used for releases up to 0.99.11 when the (in)famous disclaimer about
> user programs was added:
>
> "
> NOTE! This copyright does *not* cover user programs that use kernel
> services by normal system calls - this is merely considered normal use
> of the kernel, and does *not* fall under the heading of "derived work".
> Also note that the GPL below is copyrighted by the Free Software
> Foundation, but the instance of code that it refers to (the linux
> kernel) is copyrighted by me and others who actually wrote it.
>
> Linus Torvalds
> "
>
> and then it stayed constant until 2.4 when the GPL V2-only clause was added:
>
> "
> Also note that the only valid version of the GPL as far as the kernel
> is concerned is _this_ license (ie v2), unless explicitly otherwise
> stated.
>
> "
>
>
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2003-12-10 22:55 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 275+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2003-12-04 23:50 Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Paul Adams
2003-12-05 0:07 ` Nick Piggin
2003-12-05 2:07 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-05 15:57 ` Thierry Vignaud
2003-12-05 4:23 ` Peter Chubb
2003-12-05 4:42 ` Nick Piggin
2003-12-05 8:23 ` Peter Chubb
2003-12-05 17:19 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 18:42 ` Jeremy Fitzhardinge
2003-12-05 5:13 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2003-12-05 5:26 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-05 6:34 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 6:58 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 11:16 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 13:34 ` Anders Karlsson
2003-12-05 14:03 ` Ryan Anderson
2003-12-05 16:38 ` Shawn Willden
2003-12-05 16:54 ` Arjan van de Ven
2003-12-05 17:03 ` Shawn Willden
2003-12-05 22:36 ` Derek Fawcus
2003-12-05 17:34 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 17:35 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-05 18:12 ` Filip Van Raemdonck
2003-12-05 18:37 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-05 19:56 ` 'Filip Van Raemdonck'
2003-12-05 20:26 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-06 0:08 ` Filip Van Raemdonck
2003-12-05 19:55 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 20:14 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 21:16 ` Shawn Willden
2003-12-09 0:17 ` Kernel 2.6-test10 on an Opteron Ananda Bhattacharya
2003-12-09 12:16 ` Petr Sebor
2003-12-09 20:31 ` bill davidsen
2003-12-08 15:38 ` Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Jesse Pollard
2003-12-05 14:59 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-05 19:15 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-05 18:44 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-05 19:09 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2003-12-05 19:22 ` Arjan van de Ven
2003-12-10 13:52 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 15:18 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 15:32 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 16:21 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 16:34 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 17:10 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 17:25 ` Chris Friesen
2003-12-10 17:58 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 17:56 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 18:02 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 18:08 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 18:17 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 18:38 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 19:15 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-11 0:50 ` Driver API (was Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?) Hannu Savolainen
2003-12-11 4:01 ` Peter Chubb
2003-12-11 15:47 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-11 22:47 ` Peter Chubb
2003-12-11 10:06 ` viro
2003-12-11 12:47 ` Hannu Savolainen
2003-12-11 13:33 ` viro
2003-12-11 14:54 ` Hannu Savolainen
2003-12-10 18:37 ` Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Jan-Benedict Glaw
2003-12-10 19:51 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-10 20:09 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-11 1:24 ` Andrew Pimlott
2003-12-11 7:43 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-11 8:11 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-11 8:37 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-11 18:22 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-11 21:20 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-11 21:59 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-11 22:42 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-12 5:39 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-12 7:21 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-12 7:39 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-12 7:56 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-12 9:27 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-10 18:14 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-10 18:21 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 19:48 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-11 7:32 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-11 14:03 ` Geert Uytterhoeven
2003-12-10 22:49 ` Oliver Hunt
2003-12-10 17:15 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-10 17:42 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 19:32 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 22:43 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-10 22:49 ` Andre Hedrick [this message]
2003-12-10 23:11 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 23:24 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 19:48 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-10 21:15 ` viro
2003-12-10 22:36 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-10 23:13 ` viro
2003-12-11 15:29 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-11 18:47 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-11 18:55 ` Nick Piggin
2003-12-11 22:18 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-10 22:18 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 22:25 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 23:38 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-11 1:03 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-11 14:46 ` Ingo Molnar
2003-12-10 23:39 ` Andrea Arcangeli
2003-12-11 17:44 ` Robin Rosenberg
2003-12-11 17:56 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2003-12-11 18:16 ` Nick Piggin
2003-12-11 18:50 ` Mihai RUSU
2003-12-11 18:37 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-11 12:04 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-10 17:49 ` Jörn Engel
2003-12-10 18:16 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-05 19:25 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-05 19:26 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 15:50 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2003-12-05 18:44 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-06 0:02 ` Maciej Zenczykowski
2003-12-05 18:44 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-10 13:16 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 15:02 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-10 20:37 ` Theodore Ts'o
2003-12-11 16:26 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-05 13:52 ` Richard B. Johnson
2003-12-05 0:09 ` Oliver Hunt
2003-12-05 10:55 ` Russell King
2003-12-05 0:46 ` Erik Andersen
2003-12-05 0:58 ` Zwane Mwaikambo
2003-12-05 1:03 ` Erik Andersen
2003-12-05 1:21 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-05 1:30 ` Hua Zhong
2003-12-05 1:58 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-06 3:00 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-06 4:39 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-06 5:14 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-06 5:48 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-06 17:14 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-06 15:38 ` Theodore Ts'o
2003-12-06 16:47 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-06 21:30 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-06 21:42 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-07 13:01 ` Ingo Molnar
2003-12-07 22:11 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-06 14:13 ` Andrew Pimlott
2003-12-06 17:50 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-06 21:19 ` Theodore Ts'o
2003-12-06 21:45 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-08 16:34 ` Andrew Pimlott
2003-12-11 12:37 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-11 12:42 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-11 12:58 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-12 20:26 ` Brian Beattie
2003-12-13 12:03 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-13 15:04 ` jeff millar
2003-12-13 17:27 ` Gene Heskett
2003-12-14 0:51 ` Linux, Inc. (Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?) Andre Hedrick
2003-12-14 1:06 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-14 2:40 ` David S. Miller
2003-12-14 2:37 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-14 6:55 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-14 6:35 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-11 13:54 ` Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Andrew Pimlott
2003-12-11 15:12 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-05 3:58 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-05 1:58 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 4:58 ` Erik Andersen
2003-12-05 6:34 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 6:43 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 2:07 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-05 7:39 ` Stefan Smietanowski
2003-12-05 1:47 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 12:57 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 15:14 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 15:25 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 18:58 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-12 19:40 ` Pavel Machek
2003-12-12 22:08 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-12 23:06 ` Jamie Lokier
2003-12-12 23:43 ` Pavel Machek
2003-12-15 18:01 ` Adam Sampson
2003-12-15 21:12 ` Andre Hedrick
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2003-12-18 9:12 Randy Zagar
2003-12-18 9:51 ` Thorsten Glaser
2003-12-18 9:55 ` Daniel Newby
2003-12-18 14:24 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-19 7:56 ` Andre Hedrick
[not found] <fa.go3ahvi.h68o2q@ifi.uio.no>
[not found] ` <fa.nk4vl6d.g0181@ifi.uio.no>
2003-12-12 3:03 ` walt
2003-12-10 19:06 Manfred Spraul
2003-12-09 6:20 Paul Zimmerman
2003-12-09 13:22 ` Andrew Walrond
2003-12-09 14:12 ` Dale Whitchurch
2003-12-09 20:47 ` bill davidsen
2003-12-09 23:47 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-10 14:30 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-10 14:17 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-10 16:10 ` Richard B. Johnson
2003-12-10 17:58 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-11 15:01 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-07 2:34 gary ng
2003-12-08 16:08 ` Alex Bennee
2003-12-08 16:26 ` gary ng
2003-12-06 12:31 Matt
2003-12-05 22:43 gary ng
2003-12-05 23:11 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-06 0:07 ` gary ng
[not found] <732BE51FE9901143AE04411A11CC465602F155F3@evtexc02.tc.fluke.com>
2003-12-05 17:05 ` David Dyck
2003-12-05 18:51 ` Jesse Pollard
2003-12-05 11:35 Adam J. Richter
2003-12-05 11:25 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 15:36 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
[not found] <YPep.5Y5.21@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <Z3AK-Qw-13@gated-at.bofh.it>
2003-12-04 17:05 ` Ihar 'Philips' Filipau
2003-12-04 17:57 ` Thierry Vignaud
2003-12-05 11:11 ` Helge Hafting
2003-12-05 12:12 ` Stefan Smietanowski
2003-12-05 14:51 ` Ihar 'Philips' Filipau
2003-12-03 23:22 Jason Kingsland
2003-12-03 22:58 Xose Vazquez Perez
2003-12-03 21:31 Kendall Bennett
2003-12-03 21:47 ` Arjan van de Ven
2003-12-03 23:33 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-03 22:11 ` Richard B. Johnson
2003-12-03 23:33 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-03 23:40 ` bill davidsen
2003-12-04 0:00 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-04 0:23 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-04 6:25 ` Karim Yaghmour
2003-12-06 0:08 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-06 2:28 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-06 9:55 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-06 10:51 ` Geert Uytterhoeven
2003-12-08 18:58 ` Karim Yaghmour
2003-12-09 20:26 ` bill davidsen
2003-12-09 21:46 ` Craig Milo Rogers
2003-12-12 11:36 ` Jamie Lokier
2003-12-12 15:27 ` Bill Davidsen
2003-12-10 14:09 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 14:25 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-10 14:46 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 15:05 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-10 15:11 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 15:49 ` Aron Rubin
2003-12-10 15:59 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-10 16:06 ` Larry McVoy
2003-12-10 16:22 ` David Woodhouse
2003-12-10 18:38 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-04 19:24 ` viro
2003-12-13 0:11 ` Nix
2003-12-13 0:25 ` viro
2003-12-13 15:01 ` Nix
2003-12-04 0:29 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-04 0:52 ` Aaron Smith
2003-12-04 1:47 ` David Lang
2003-12-04 1:20 ` Aaron Smith
2003-12-04 4:48 ` Jamie Lokier
2003-12-04 15:21 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-04 15:58 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-05 1:58 ` David Schwartz
2003-12-05 2:43 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-05 13:09 ` Pat Erley
2003-12-05 18:44 ` Kendall Bennett
2003-12-10 13:06 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-05 13:49 ` Maciej Zenczykowski
2003-12-10 13:43 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 16:07 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 18:33 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 19:20 ` Linus Torvalds
2003-12-10 20:15 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 21:04 ` Ingo Molnar
2003-12-10 21:05 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-10 21:17 ` Ingo Molnar
2003-12-10 22:59 ` Andre Hedrick
2003-12-11 0:58 ` Rob Love
2003-12-11 10:56 ` Xavier Bestel
2003-12-11 7:26 ` Rob Landley
2003-12-05 17:29 ` Jason Kingsland
2003-12-05 17:50 ` Linus Torvalds
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