Re: License question: Why GPLv2 only?

[Simon Josefsson <simon@josefsson.org>]

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Marcel Holtmann <holtmann@linux.intel.com> writes:

> Hi Simon,
>
>> Interesting project.  I read some of the source code you have published,
>> and some files are licensed under the GPLv2 or later:
>> 
>> http://git.kernel.org/?p=network/ofono/ofono.git;a=blob;f=gdbus/mainloop.c;hb=HEAD
>> 
>> However, many files are licensed under the GPLv2 only, with no option of
>> using later license versions, for example:
>> 
>> http://git.kernel.org/?p=network/ofono/ofono.git;a=blob;f=gatchat/gatchat.c;hb=HEAD
>> http://git.kernel.org/?p=network/ofono/ofono.git;a=blob;f=src/dbus-gsm.c;hb=HEAD
>> 
>> Has it been a conscious decision to use GPLv2-only for some files?
>
> these are on purpose this way. The files gdbus/*.[ch] contain the
> original license and copyright from the BlueZ project, because they are
> copied from there.
>
> All the rest of the oFono source code is GPLv2 only.

Ah, thanks for explaining.  Maybe these details could be recorded in
documentation somewhere.  When/if will be packaged for a GNU/Linux
distribution, it will become relevant.

>> Are you aware that using GPLv2-only makes your work license incompatible
>> with (L)GPLv3 work?  If I understand correctly, you cannot combine any
>> of your GPLv2-only work with code licensed under the LGPLv3 or GPLv3.
>> The GPLv2-only license is not compatible with the (L)GPLv3 license, see:
>> 
>> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#AllCompatibility
>> 
>> I would humbly request that you use GPLv2-or-later for code instead, to
>> allow you, and everyone else, to combine your work with (L)GPLv3 code.
>
> That is not really up to me and there are concerns with the GPLv3
> license that hasn't been addressed properly at this moment. I am not a
> lawyer and I am bound by company policy in this regard.

Sure, I understand.

> Even if we would switch to GPLv3 license, then we can not be linked with
> GPLv2 or LGPLv2 only code.

Btw, using the LGPLv2+ would allow for combining with any *GPLv*
license.  Of course, that wouldn't work for the BlueZ code.

/Simon