Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3

Dmitry Torokhov
2007-06-15T13:19:48Z

On 6/15/07, Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk> wrote:
> O> GPL itself does not. But the author(s) may when they specify "any
> > later version", "dual GPL/BSD", etc. In this case (IMHO) distributor
> > in fact relicenses the code and may reduce license to sipmply BSD or
> > simply GPL, or "GPL v3 from now on". To "restore" license you would
> > need to go upstream and get the code from there.
>
> I don't see anything in the GPL that permits a redistributor to change
> the licence a piece of code is distributed under. If my code is GPL v2 or
> later you cannot take away the "or later" unless explicitly granted
> powers by the author to vary the licence.
>
> What you most certainly can do is modify it and decide your modifications
> are GPLv3 only thus creating a derived work which is GPLv3 only. However
> anyone receiving your modified version and reverting the modifications is
> back at v2 or later.
>

Yes, I agree. When I am saying "distributor" it is someone like RedHat
or TiVO who do modify the code, not merely use it in ints original
form.

--
Dmitry