[ROFL] GCC's GPLv3 "Updated License Exception"

[Alexander Terekhov]

http://www.fsf.org/news/2009-01-gcc-exception/

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GCC Libraries Get Updated License Exception  

A new license exception will allow the entire GCC codebase to be
upgraded to GPLv3, and enable the development of a plugin framework for
GCC.

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Tuesday, January 27, 2009 -- Today the
Free Software Foundation (FSF), together with the GCC Steering Committee
and the Software Freedom Law Center, announced the release of a new GCC
Runtime Library Exception. This license exception will allow the entire
GCC codebase to be upgraded to GPLv3, and enable the development of a
plugin framework for GCC.

"GCC includes runtime libraries that are automatically built into all
the object code that GCC creates," explained Brett Smith, license
compliance engineer at the FSF. "Because we decided a long time ago to
allow developers to compile proprietary software with GCC, these
libraries have always had license exceptions. This way, programs that
are merely compiled with GCC don't have to be released under the GPL."

The license exceptions on those runtime libraries are being updated. The
new exception is built on top of GPLv3, so the libraries can be upgraded
to the latest version of the license. It also paves the way for GCC to
add a plugin architecture, by adding new protections against extending
GCC with proprietary software.

The text of the exception is available. The FSF has also published a
rationale document and FAQ to help users understand the exception
better.

Media Contacts

Brett Smith 
License Compliance Engineer 
Free Software Foundation 
+1 (617) 542 5942 x18 
brett@fsf.org 
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http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gcc-exception-faq.html

"In order to take advantage of this permission, the Compilation Process
that you use to create Target Code has to be “Eligible,” which means
that it does not involve both GCC and GPL-incompatible software."

Someone's gotta ask the GNU legal beagle Moglen and his underlings at
FSF/SFLC what does the GCC's GPLv3 "Updated License Exception"'s term
“Eligible” (in the context of "Compilation Process") have to do with the
copyright law given 17 U.S.C. 117.

ROFL.

regards,
alexander.

--
http://gng.z505.com/index.htm 
(GNG is a derecursive recursive derecursion which pwns GNU since it can 
be infinitely looped as GNGNGNGNG...NGNGNG... and can be said backwards 
too, whereas GNU cannot.)