this is a question that i'm mainly concerned about as upstream (the project may need to go a long way until it can be packaged for Debian). is it possible/feasible/DFSG-compatible to have software licensed under the GPL2+, but with a special explicit license-grant as BSD-3 to a single person for a specific project? something like the following: > # License Grant > FROBNOZZLE is released under the Gnu GPL version 2 (or later). > See LICENSE.md for the full text of the GPLv2. > > ## Special license grant to FOO BAR > I hereby grant FOO BAR the exclusive right to include FROBNOZZLE into > GOBBLEFUNK under the BSD 3-clause license under which GOBBLEFUNK is > currently released. > > Once it has been included into GOBBLEFUNK. it is of course > re-distributable under that license. Until then, the Gnu GPL v2 (or > later) applies. so the backstory is: upstream has written an extension FROBNOZZLE to the BSD3-licensed application GOBBLEFUNK. they would like to have it included into that application proper; but in the meantime or if the maintainer of GOBBLEFUNK is not interested, upstream would prefer if FROBNOZZLE was made available under the GPL. i guess, the normal way would be just to release under the GPL, and if necessary re-license the software under BSD after private negotiation with FOO BAR. however, re-licensing requires to contact all copyright holders, and have them agree on the new license. to ease this, upstream wants to get the permission of potential contributors for relicensing it under the more liberal license (under certain conditions). thus this make sense? gmasdr IOhannes PS: please keep me in the loop, as i'm not subscribed to debian-legal@
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