[Savannah-cvs] [GnuGplTwoOrLater] (edit) mention LGPL*-only conversion to GPL, etc.

[karlberry]

??changed:
-Licensing under "GNU GPL v2 only" (or v3 only) is problematic: since we have 
published GNU GPL v3, it is important for GNU GPL-covered programs to advance 
to v3, which deals with new flaws. But, v3 is incompatible with v2, because of 
the nature of copyleft.  The same issues will arise when a GPLv4 is needed.
-
-Thus, we ask that you release your software under GNU GPL version 2 (or 3), 
*or any later version*. If you don't put this clause in the files now, the only 
way to port your program to GPL v3 would be to ask each and every copyright 
holder, and that may be very difficult, even impossible (e.g. if a contributor 
is not reachable anymore).
Licensing under "GNU GPL v2 only" (or v3 only) is problematic: since GNU GPL v3 
has been published, it is important for GNU GPL-covered programs to advance to 
v3, which protects against new ways to deny software freedom. But, v3 is 
incompatible with v2, because of the nature of copyleft.  (The same issues will 
arise when a GPLv4 is needed.)

Thus, for savannah hosting we require that you release your software under GNU 
GPL version 2 or 3, *or any later version*.  If you don't put this clause in 
the files now, the only way to use your program with GPL v3 code would be to 
ask each and every copyright holder, and that may be very difficult, even 
impossible (e.g. if a contributor is not reachable anymore).

??changed:
-GPLv3 is generally recommended.  See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html for 
the complete text, which includes the recommended license notice to put in your 
files.
GPLv3+ is generally recommended.  See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html for 
the complete text, which includes the recommended license notice to put in your 
files.

LGPL licenses are a different case.  Because all versions of the LGPL can be 
converted to any version of the GPL, we can accept LGPL*-only on savannah.  Of 
course, we highly recommend against using LGPL*-only when there is any 
alternative.

Even if you yourself do not particularly care about the changes from GPLv2 to 
GPLv3, realize that a large body of code is released under GPLv3-or-later.  If 
you release your code under GPLv2-only, sharing cannot occur (in either 
direction), and that is the shame.  Please use -or-later.

??changed:
-
 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/rms-why-gplv3.html
 


--
forwarded from http://savannah.gnu.org/maintenance/address@hidden/maintenance