[Opengc-devel] some notes on licensing

[Damion S. <be...@cs...>]

This has been bothering me a bit, so I did a bit of research...

 From the GNU website (see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html )

Q: I would like to release a program I wrote under the GNU GPL, but I 
would like to use the same code in non-free programs.

A: To release a non-free program is always ethically tainted, but 
legally there is no obstacle to your doing this.  If you are the 
copyright holder for the code, you can release it under various 
different non-exclusive licenses at various times.


Q: Is the developer of a GPL-covered program bound by the GPL?  Could 
the developer's actions ever be a violation of the GPL?

A: Strictly speaking, the GPL is a license from the developer for 
others to use, distribute and change the program.  The developer itself 
is not bound by it, so no matter what the developer does, this is not a 
"violation" of the GPL.

However, if the developer does something that would violate the GPL if 
done by someone else, the developer will surely lose moral standing in 
the community.


Q: Can the developer of a program who distributed it under the GPL 
later license it to another party for   exclusive use?

A: No, because the public already has the right to use the program 
under the GPL, and this right cannot be withdrawn

I believe this is in line with my proposition for how to handle any 
potential commercialization of the portion of OpenGC for which I am the 
exclusive copyright holder. It also confirms the point that the version 
of OpenGC as it exists must always be available under the GPL, and that 
no claim can be made to the contrary. In other words, I have no right 
to EVER dispute how the current version of OpenGC is used, as long as 
such use complies with the GPL.

Hopefully this clarifies things a bit. The "lose moral standing in the 
community" bit mentioned above is why I'm discussing this ahead of time.

Cheers,
-Damion-

---------
Damion Shelton
The Open Source Glass Cockpit Project (OpenGC)
Carnegie Mellon University, Robotics Institute
http://www.opengc.org
da...@op...