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From: Harald Korneliussen <vintermann@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Corrected version Re: pragma License ?
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:30:41 -0700
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anon wrote:
> Also Linux was first written under Linus own license then moved to
> GPL because it did not allow commercial redistribution. So Linus could
> go back and write a new Linux license.
>
> E N O U G H   S A I D   A B O U T   T H I S ! ! !

Sorry, can't let blatant misinformation like that stand. It concerns
Ada insofar GNAT & GPL is so widespread and important.

By now, Linus alone does not hold copyright to the entire kernel. I
believe some contributors assign their rights to him, but some keep
it, and many assign it to the Free Software Foundation instead (there
are many kernel contributors to the "left" of Linus on free software
issues). The FSF would never agree to a license change, except to
GPL3. GPL2 does not force you to upgrade to GPL3 but it permits it
("at your option, any later version"). This means anyone is free to
ship the entire kernel under GPL3, although you could still get it
under the old licence from Linus and others.

However, if a party redistributes or modifies a GPL3-version of the
source, rather than a GPL2-version, perhaps by accident, they will be
in trouble, if you think that limited opportunity to sue your users
for software patent infringement is trouble.