4 ms·
As someone who's not too familiar with IP law/GPL versions: is GPL3 not "GPLv2 or later"?
by mikevin 5y ago
As someone who's not too familiar with IP law/GPL versions: is GPL3 not "GPLv2 or later"?
- redis_mlc 5y agoNo, GPL3 has a patent clause that is nowhere in GPLv2 (to counter Tivoization.) So GPLv2 is acceptable to most people using GPL software already, but GPL3 is not. Note that linux is GPL, so most companies do allow GPL2 for OS' and databases when pressed hard enough.
- afiori 5y agoThey meant that you cannot once a piece of code is released by GPLv2 you cannot unrelease under GPLv2. So even if every new version and contribution is required to specify a GPLv3-or-later license all previous contributions and versions are still in GPLv2-or-later, which is more permissive. I think the comment was addressing a misconception around how the project as a whole is licensed and its individual contributions or past versions are licensed and the fact that GPLv2-or-later works cannot be revoked as the user can always freely chose between the GPLv2 and the "later".