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

Alexandre Oliva
2007-06-15T19:53:56Z

On Jun 15, 2007, Daniel Hazelton <dhazelton@enter.net> wrote:

> You have repeatedly stated that if a system runs a GPL'd system then
> all rights to the system that the manufacturer has *must* be passed
> on to the end-user.

Not really, not to the entire system. The spirit is not clear in this
regard, when it talks about "all rights", but I understand it means
"all rights related with the program", i.e., "you must let others do
with the program everything that you can".

> Before you answer - this question is *NOT* based on any interpretation or
> reading of the GPLv3. What it is based on is statements you have repeatedly
> made. So no claims this being already covered, and no claims that this isn't
> a situation covered by the GPLv3.

Sorry that I have been unclear. This just goes to show that what we
write isn't always the whole story, and quite often intent doesn't
shine through the words. While legal terms have a stronger demand for
clarity and non-ambiguity, intent and other less-formal forms of
communication often depend on a lot of context for correct
interpretation. And then, if multiple interpretations are possible,
the only resort is to ask the author and hope s/he still remembers
what s/he meant.

--
Alexandre Oliva http://www.lsd.ic.unicamp.br/~oliva/
FSF Latin America Board Member http://www.fsfla.org/
Red Hat Compiler Engineer aoliva@{redhat.com, gcc.gnu.org}
Free Software Evangelist oliva@{lsd.ic.unicamp.br, gnu.org}