> On the other hand, this prevented a project like the linux kernel from moving to gplv3 since the distributed corpus of contributors could not all agree to swi

> On the other hand, this prevented a project like the linux kernel from moving to gplv3 since the distributed corpus of contributors could not all agree to switch. That's not enitrely true. If I remember correctly Linus himself does not like the GPLv3 and opposes its use for the Linux kernel. Basically his argument is that the changes and new restrictions imposed by GPLv3 in practice makes it a new kind of license, but that the naming seems designed to "lure" people who think it's a regular license upgrade into adopting a license they would otherwise not consider using. I'm not sure if this is in writing anywhere, but I recall him talking about this on the same Debconf where he admitted that he had never managed to install Debian Linux. So moving the Linux kernel to GPLv3 may not be entirely trivial, but that's not the reason it hasn't been done. Linus simply didn't want to.