[Savannah-help-public] [sr #105871] How do I change the License of a project?

[John Doe]

Follow-up Comment #2, sr #105871 (project administration):

fre, 25 05 2007 kl. 19:23 +0000, skrev Sylvain Beucler:
Follow-up Comment #1, sr #105871 (project administration):

<cut>
> A license change need to be validated by the Savannah hackers indeed.
</cut>

Thats what I thought, and I might have to use more than one license.

> What project are you talking about?

The project is Yainet, an irc project.  I plan to use ircd-software, but the
files in that package vary on license.

Some are GPL-1.0 or later .. some are BSD, some doesn't even have a
copyrightnotice in the source-file.

> If the code is under GPL 1.0 _or later_ can you include it in your
> GPLv2-or-later project. If it's GPL v1 _only_, then you cannot use it in
your project - maybe you can ask the code author to relicense his code?

That might be an option too .. to write all the authors, if I can get hold of
them.

Some of the files are GPLv2 or later already, like
"irc2.11.1p1/ircd/fileio.c"

There is at least one file with its own copyright:
(irc2.11.1p1/contrib/mkpasswd/mkpasswd.c)

** copyright 1991, all rights reserved.
** You can use this code as long as my name stays with it.

(This seems incompatible to me).

Here is an example of a copyright notice that is somewhat ambitious:

** This program is distributed under the GNU General Public License in the 
** hope that it will be useful, but without any warranty. Without even the 
** implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 
** See the GNU General Public License for details.

(From the file irc2.11.1p1/contrib/tkserv/tkserv.c)


Not stating which version of the GPL they're referring to.  The file is
copyrighted in 1998. 

In the README of this sub directory it says:
    "This program is released under the GNU General Public License. A copy of
this license is included in the distribution."

The only version of the GPL i can find, is version 1 of 1989.  Its in a
different directory.

There is also at least one file with some BSD license:
(irc2.11.1p1/common/irc_sprintf.c)

/*
 *   IRC - Internet Relay Chat, common/irc_sprintf.c
 *   Copyright (C) 2002 Piotr Kucharski
 *
 *   BSD licence applies. Yeah!
 *
 */


> Btw, the original BSD is not a non-free license, but it's incompatible with
the GNU GPL for a silly reason (removed in the modified BSD).

OK .. I read up on the four freedoms, and I see you're indeed right!  The
license doesn't restrict my freedom to distribute the software, but only has
some restricting on marketing.

However, what does it mean that its not compatible with the GPL?   Is it if I
change that particular file, I cannot use the GPL, or what?


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