Linux creator Linux Torvalds says that the GPL2 (GNU General Public License) is still the best licensing option for the Linux Kernel. Torvalds has consistently rejected the GPL version 3 licensing scheme, released last year by the Free Software Foundation (FSF), for the Linux Kernel.
Read more »Torvalds sticking to his GPL2 guns
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Why GPLv3 Will Supplant GPLv2
One of the most important recent events in the world of free software has been the release of version 3 of the GNU GPL. There were fierce arguments about its utility while it was being drawn up, and although the rhetoric has abated somewhat, there is still a big question mark over its eventual success.
Read more »GPLv2 vs. GPLv3 for beginners
A research firm serving the mobile phone industry has published an 18-page whitepaper about open source licensing. Entitled "GPLv2 vs. GPLv3," the paper examines the meteoric rise of open source software, and the forces that shaped each license, before concluding with an extremely detailed point-by-point comparison.
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Free Software Licensing, Part 2: Beyond GPL
In practical terms, developers use GPL v2 and GPL v3 if they want their software to be free and open and to remain free and open no matter how the code is used downstream. It can get more complicated than this, of course, especially since the copyright holder of GPL v2-licensed code, for example, can sell it and even use it in closed-source
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Interview with FSFE President Georg Greve by Sean Daly
Greve begins by explaining why GPLv3 provides a higher level of security for your project but also reassures everyone that it's no difficulty if projects such as the kernel wish to remain GPLv2. He does raise some legal issues the kernel folks likely will wish to think about.
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Digium will probably stick with GPLv2 for Asterisk
Digium will probably not switch from GPLv2 to GPLv3. They are concerned about the patent ramifications, and say they want to stick with what's known.
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GPLv2 or GPLv3?: Inside the Debate
This is a comprehensive explanation of the different perspectives of the Free Software Foundation and Linus Torvalds on the GPL. It explains that Linus likes the GPL mainly because of its share-and-share-alike principle, and doesn't care about the FSF's vision of software freedom.
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