Re: GPL "or any greater version"
> > I disagree -- section 9 gives you the option of replacing GPL v2 with
> > later versions.
On Thu, Aug 26, 2004 at 08:42:50PM -0400, Brian Thomas Sniffen wrote:
> Only in two very specific circumstances: if you received the work with
> "or any later version," or if no version number was specified at all.
>
> What makes you think it's general?
The fact that it doesn't provide terms for any other cases, and another
part of the license says "You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or
distribute the Program except as expressly provided under this License".
I might be wrong on that point -- that would be up to a judge to decide.
But, frankly, the point about what the oopyright holder can do doesn't
really matter because there are significant programs (such as gcc)
where the copyright holder has specified "or any later version".
And, that's what you have called "compulsions of asymmetric privileges".
Once you've distributed a change to gcc, the copyright holder is free
to redistribute that change under any future version of the GPL, and
there's nothing you can do to prevent that. [Your distribution can
be "only under the terms of GPLv2", but each recipient "automatically
receives a license from the original licensor" and "You may not impose
any further restrictions".]
Every serious counter argument I've seen to my argument that GPL's
section 9 provides the same kind of asymmetry as you've objected to in
the QPL has focussed on the copyright holder prohibiting later versions.
Even if I grant that the copyright holder can prohibit later versions
(and I'm not convinced of that), I still don't see how someone other
than the copyright holder can do so without losing all GPL rights.
--
Raul
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