Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3

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Jesper Juhl wrote:
One thing that would make that easier in the future is if contributers
at least started to dual-license their submissions.  I.e. if instead
of "GPL version 2", one could say "GPL version 2 or GPL version 3".
It isn't the same thing as the problematic "GPL version 2 or later",
because the developer is not agreeing to an unseen license (GPLv4,
etc).  What it does do is make it easier to move to GPLv3 a few years
from now, if that is decided then, as a significant fraction of the
code will already be GPLv3 compatible.  That way, if a reason is ever
found to move to v3, at least some of the work will already be done.

Good luck convincing all contributors to do that.

Well, it's something that pro-GPLv3 people can do right now, instead of just lobbying/complaining. Given 1000 developers, if 400 start dual licensing now, and down the road some compelling reason for GPLv3 does arise (read: a lawsuit with teeth), that's 600 people you need to contact/convince to change, not 1000. This is made more interesting by that fact that 40% of the kernel code is already "GPLv2 or later", as someone else pointed out.

Personally I'm happy with GPL v2, and I for one won't be
dual-licensing anything I contribute until I see a clear benefit of
doing so (and I don't yet).

Well, all my personal (non-kernel) stuff is still GPLv2 only right now (Linus' opinion is what convinced me that "or later" is dumb), and like many I disliked the original GPLv3 draft. I'm willing to wait until the final one is out though, and I think my libraries will end up being dual-licensed, with contributions required to be dual-licensed. I want to avoid v3 lock-in, but I don't want to cripple v3 projects either.

In any case, this whole debate is still a bit premature since GPL v3
has not even arrived in its final form yet.

Agreed.

 - Jim Bruce
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