Re: [GIT PULL] Documentation: Add a file explaining the requested Linux kernel license enforcement policy

From: Bradley M. Kuhn
Date: Sat Oct 21 2017 - 22:28:30 EST


> On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 06:28:12PM +0300, Pavel Nikulin wrote:
> Modification of GPL V2 terms are explicitly disallowed.

Greg KH replied at 03:29 (US/Eastern) on Friday:
>> Again, we are not modifying the license, so all should be fine

I agree with Greg; the Linux Kernel Enforcement Statement does not change
the license of Linux as a whole, and it does not modify the GPLv2.

Pavel Nikulin wrote at 11:28 (US/Eastern) on Thursday:
> Greg, are you trying to put a new addendum to the terms of GPL v2?
...
Pavel Nikulin wrote further at 15:16 (US/Eastern) today:
> If you say that your lawyers have comprehensively researched that,
> I can't say they did a good job. Almost every line sounds close to
> being a contractual agreement.
...
> And even this last phrase does not states explicitly that the nature of
> the document as non-legally binding.
...
> Moreover, you put "additional permissions under our license" wording
> there,

Certainly this issue is complicated.
https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2017/oct/20/additional-permissions/ might
help. I decided yesterday to write a blog post digging deep into the weeds
on this, for those interested.
--
Bradley M. Kuhn
Distinguished Technologist of Software Freedom Conservancy
========================================================================
Become a Conservancy Supporter today: https://sfconservancy.org/supporter