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Git derives patches from files on disk, so the patch inherits the file's license. Logically you commit files or even the whole source tree, a patch is an optimi
by GoblinSlayer 8y ago
Git derives patches from files on disk, so the patch inherits the file's license. Logically you commit files or even the whole source tree, a patch is an optimization detail, which is used to rebuild the source tree at a given point, so it's a matter of what license the source tree has at that point.
- cyphar 8y agoThis isn't really relevant to the legal status of a change (i.e. patch) to a proprietary work where the source code is public. The answer is that making the change is already usually copyright infringement (though I think some countries have a concept of private copies being exempt from these types of restrictions). But redistribution of your patch would definitely be copyright infringement because a license to create a derived work was not given to you -- and patches are by definition derived works.