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sr #105871: How do I change the License of a project?

Submitter:  John Doe <nospam>
Submitted:  Thu 24 May 2007 09:40:20 PM UTC
   
 
Category:  None Priority:  5 - Normal
Severity:  4 - Important Status:  None
Privacy:  Public Assigned to:  Beuc
Operating System:  GNU/Linux Open/Closed:  Closed
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Sat 23 Jun 2007 11:02:47 AM UTC, comment #14: 

Done :)

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Wed 20 Jun 2007 09:46:07 AM UTC, comment #13: 

Yes please.

When I choose the affereo license, I was under the impression that the affereo license was GPL v1.0.  I am no longer suffering from that misconception.

I guess the reason for my mistake was that I didnt know or imagine there was a version of the GPL you would not accept. So failing to find GPLv1, I choose affereo.

If I understand you correctly, the project needs to be GPLv2 or later.  There is no other way, and this seems like a nice sollution to me. 

GPLv1 or later, might have been ideal, since the GPLv3 isnt out yet, and the source project is GPLv1, and GPLv1 doesnt allow proprietary vendors to do much anyhow. 

On the other hand, I would probably want to change the License to GPLv3 once this license is out anyhow, so I guess its good to get started changing the license.

I assume that I am allowed (and/or legally forced) to change the license header in the files to reflect this.  At least the files for which I add changes, and/or files that specificly mentions the GPLv1, or other licenses. 

(Unless its ok for some files in the project to be released with another license?)

The documentation part of the project that states which license is used, will certainly need to change, I realise.

Could you change the license?  That would be swell.

Thank you in advance,
nospam .

John Doe <nospam>
Wed 20 Jun 2007 05:53:58 AM UTC, comment #12: 

So do you need to change the license of your project?

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Mon 04 Jun 2007 08:07:28 AM UTC, comment #11: 

Ah, you need to ask us for changing the license that is displayed in the project page.

Note that we accept the GNU GPL starting with v2, so it would be "GPL v2 or later".

Is that fine by you?


"If I understand you correctly, the modified BSD copyright let me distribute BSD-code under the GPL."

Indeed.

"Another question, when I change something in a file, do I simply add a line that says "(C) 2007 John Doe" or similar? I assume its apropiate to add a few lines on what I changed, and that my changes are under the "GPLv1 or later"?"

If you change the license, you could:

- add a README file (or similar) in your repository that contains the original BSD notice, stating that your code includes portion of code originaly released under the BSD license.

- change the source file's license notice to the standard GNU GPL header

- keep the existing copyright notices in the source file and add your own after them

I did something similar in GNU FreeDink:
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/freedink/doc/legal-notices_orig.txt?revision=1.1&root=freedink&view=markup
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/freedink/freedink.cpp?revision=1.2&root=freedink&view=markup

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Sun 03 Jun 2007 04:30:25 PM UTC, comment #10: 

Oh! I guess my question was rather unclear.  I am asking who will change the license of the project to "GPLv1 or later" here on Savannah.

If I understand you correctly, the modified BSD copyright let me distribute BSD-code under the GPL.

Another question, when I change something in a file, do I simply add a line that says "(C) 2007 John Doe" or similar?  I assume its apropiate to add a few lines on what I changed, and that my changes are under the "GPLv1 or later"?

John Doe <nospam>
Sun 03 Jun 2007 10:53:00 AM UTC, comment #9: 

You need to contact the copyright holder of the code.
If the copyright holder is now mentioned, I don't think you can use the code.

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Sat 02 Jun 2007 08:58:12 PM UTC, comment #8: 


> You need to ask that person. There's no other way :)


Right!  But which person?

John Doe <nospam>
Sat 02 Jun 2007 07:38:38 PM UTC, comment #7: 

You need to ask that person. There's no other way :)

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Sat 02 Jun 2007 11:10:25 AM UTC, comment #6: 

That is great!

How do I get someone to change the license to GPLv1 or any later as published by the FSF?

John Doe <nospam>
Sat 02 Jun 2007 09:35:39 AM UTC, comment #5: 

"So, if its all GPL and BSD-modified I should be fine, I guess. What will the copyright of my project be? I guess if I change the file with the BSD-copyright, I'll have to make my changes to that file available under the BSD-license, while my changes to the GPL files will be under the GPLv2 or later. (Will change it to V3 when that comes out)."

Hi,

The license of your project, as a whole, will be the GNU GPL, because a portion of it is under the GNU GPL.

For individual files, you have the choice:
- either maintain them under their current license
- either "switch" to the GNU GPL, so your changes are under the GNU GPL as well. You still need to keep intact the original notice, but consider it as a comment.

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Fri 25 May 2007 09:43:43 PM UTC, comment #4: 

fre, 25 05 2007 kl. 21:30 +0000, skrev Sylvain Beucler:
Follow-up Comment #3, sr #105871 (project administration):

>
> > copyright 1991, all rights reserved.
> > You can use this code as long as my name stays with it.
> >
> > (This seems incompatible to me).
>
> Hmmm, yes, unfortunately. "Keeping the name" is compatible (you must
> reproduce the copyright notices anyway, as stated in the GNU GPL) - but the
> author only say "use" which is vague. It should be "use, modify and
> distribute" :/


I guess I'll drop that piece of code, if I am unable to get in contact with the author.


> > Copyright (C) 2002 Piotr Kucharski
> > BSD licence applies. Yeah!
>
> Indeed that's ambiguous.
>
> But well, http://www.freebsd.org/copyright/license.html says that in 1999 UCB
> made a global license change from original BSD to modified BSD. This code from
> 2002 is not precising exactly which BSD license it sues so arguably this can
> be interpreted at "modified BSD".
> Contacting the author won't hurt though.


I'll try to find his email and write him a note that if he doesn't object, I'll assume hes reffering to the modified license.

There is another problem though .. not all files have a copyright notice.  Esp. some of the .h files, and the text-files doesn't.  There is a README that says this though: (irc2.11.1p1/doc/README)

      Other files of interest:

      LICENSE - license agreement
      ChangeLog - log of source changes

The LICENSE file is the GPLv1.

> When you combine several pieces of code released under different licenses to
> create a "combined" (or "derived") work, all licenses need to be compatible
> between each others.


So, if its all GPL and BSD-modified I should be fine, I guess.  What will the copyright of my project be?  I guess if I change the file with the BSD-copyright, I'll have to make my changes to that file available under the BSD-license, while my changes to the GPL files will be under the GPLv2 or later. (Will change it to V3 when that comes out).

> The GNU project maintains a list of licenses and their compatibility with the
> GNU GPL, check http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html for details.


I'll check that out, if I encounter other licenses.  I hope I have them all covered now though.


John Doe <nospam>
Fri 25 May 2007 09:30:26 PM UTC, comment #3: 


> copyright 1991, all rights reserved.
> You can use this code as long as my name stays with it.
>
> (This seems incompatible to me).


Hmmm, yes, unfortunately. "Keeping the name" is compatible (you must reproduce the copyright notices anyway, as stated in the GNU GPL) - but the author only say "use" which is vague. It should be "use, modify and distribute" :/

> Here is an example of a copyright notice
> that is somewhat ambitious:


The GNU GPL says:
"If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation."

So there's no problem with that one.

> Copyright (C) 2002 Piotr Kucharski
> BSD licence applies. Yeah!


Indeed that's ambiguous.

But well, http://www.freebsd.org/copyright/license.html says that in 1999 UCB made a global license change from original BSD to modified BSD. This code from 2002 is not precising exactly which BSD license it sues so arguably this can be interpreted at "modified BSD".
Contacting the author won't hurt though.

> However, what does it mean that its not compatible
> with the GPL? Is it if I change that particular file,
> I cannot use the GPL, or what?


When you combine several pieces of code released under different licenses to create a "combined" (or "derived") work, all licenses need to be compatible between each others.

The GNU project maintains a list of licenses and their compatibility with the GNU GPL, check http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html for details.

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Fri 25 May 2007 08:31:35 PM UTC, comment #2: 

fre, 25 05 2007 kl. 19:23 +0000, skrev Sylvain Beucler:
Follow-up Comment #1, sr #105871 (project administration):

<cut>

> A license change need to be validated by the Savannah hackers indeed.

</cut>

Thats what I thought, and I might have to use more than one license.

> What project are you talking about?


The project is Yainet, an irc project.  I plan to use ircd-software, but the files in that package vary on license.

Some are GPL-1.0 or later .. some are BSD, some doesn't even have a copyrightnotice in the source-file.

> If the code is under GPL 1.0 or later can you include it in your
> GPLv2-or-later project. If it's GPL v1 only, then you cannot use it in your project - maybe you can ask the code author to relicense his code?


That might be an option too .. to write all the authors, if I can get hold of them.

Some of the files are GPLv2 or later already, like "irc2.11.1p1/ircd/fileio.c"

There is at least one file with its own copyright: (irc2.11.1p1/contrib/mkpasswd/mkpasswd.c)

** copyright 1991, all rights reserved.
** You can use this code as long as my name stays with it.

(This seems incompatible to me).

Here is an example of a copyright notice that is somewhat ambitious:

** This program is distributed under the GNU General Public License in the
** hope that it will be useful, but without any warranty. Without even the
** implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
** See the GNU General Public License for details.

(From the file irc2.11.1p1/contrib/tkserv/tkserv.c)


Not stating which version of the GPL they're referring to.  The file is copyrighted in 1998.

In the README of this sub directory it says:
    "This program is released under the GNU General Public License. A copy of this license is included in the distribution."

The only version of the GPL i can find, is version 1 of 1989.  Its in a different directory.

There is also at least one file with some BSD license: (irc2.11.1p1/common/irc_sprintf.c)

/*

  •   IRC - Internet Relay Chat, common/irc_sprintf.c
  •   Copyright (C) 2002 Piotr Kucharski

 *

  •   BSD licence applies. Yeah!

 *
 */


> Btw, the original BSD is not a non-free license, but it's incompatible with the GNU GPL for a silly reason (removed in the modified BSD).


OK .. I read up on the four freedoms, and I see you're indeed right!  The license doesn't restrict my freedom to distribute the software, but only has some restricting on marketing.

However, what does it mean that its not compatible with the GPL?   Is it if I change that particular file, I cannot use the GPL, or what?

John Doe <nospam>
Fri 25 May 2007 07:23:43 PM UTC, comment #1: 

Hi,

A license change need to be validated by the Savannah hackers indeed.

What project are you talking about?

If the code is under GPL 1.0 or later can you include it in your GPLv2-or-later project. If it's GPL v1 only, then you cannot use it in your project - maybe you can ask the code author to relicense his code?

Btw, the original BSD is not a non-free license, but it's incompatible with the GNU GPL for a silly reason (removed in the modified BSD).

Sylvain Beucler <Beuc>
Thu 24 May 2007 09:40:20 PM UTC, original submission:  

Hi,

I have the feeling that in order to change the License of a project I admin, I need to contact you.

I admin a project that is planning to import code with different kind of licenses.  If it turns out that any of the code is unfree licensed (for example unmodified BSD license), I will of course not include that peace of code.

I plan to license my own code as GPL-2 or later, however, some of the code is the original GPL1.0.

John Doe <nospam>

 

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