From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Mihai Buha Subject: License for the libi2c Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 02:07:43 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <1369818463.42609.YahooMailNeo@web141202.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> Reply-To: Mihai Buha Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Return-path: Sender: linux-i2c-owner-u79uwXL29TY76Z2rM5mHXA@public.gmane.org To: "linux-i2c-u79uwXL29TY76Z2rM5mHXA@public.gmane.org" List-Id: linux-i2c@vger.kernel.org Hello list, =A0 I have just read the Plans for I2C Tools 4 and I saw that Jean (khali) = intends to release the new libi2c=A0under the=A0LGPL. I wonder, however= , if that is legally possible, since the=A0functions in i2c-dev.h are s= ubject to the GPL, and only the original implementor is allowed to chan= ge the licensing terms if I understand the GPL correctly (the file was = originally added in the i2c-tools repository by Kyo:sti (kmalkki), but = he may have copied the functions from somewhere else). =A0 The only ways I see to change the licensing=A0are the following: 1) GPL'd code can be relicensed as LGPL by any user (I don't think it's= possible); 2) Kyo:sti wrote the code, so=A0he should give his written permission t= o relicense; 3) Kyo:sti copied the code, so the original author should be tracked do= wn and asked to give his written permission to relicense. This process should be performed for all the code that is to be relicen= sed as LGPL. =A0 What do you think? =A0 Disclaimer: IANAL. =A0 Thanks, Mihai Buha