Update to GCC copyright assignment policy

[Christopher Dimech]

> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2021 at 2:36 AM
> From: "Jason Merrill via Gcc" <gcc@gcc.gnu.org>
> To: "Mark Wielaard" <mark@klomp.org>
> Cc: "Florian Weimer" <fweimer@redhat.com>, "gcc Mailing List" <gcc@gcc.gnu.org>
> Subject: Re: Update to GCC copyright assignment policy
>
> On Wed, Jun 2, 2021 at 4:10 AM Mark Wielaard <mark@klomp.org> wrote:
>
> > On Tue, Jun 01, 2021 at 11:05:24AM -0400, Richard Kenner wrote:
> > > > > What about the parts of GCC with FSF copyrights that are not covered
> > by
> > > > > the GPL, but the GPL with exceptions?  How is it possible to move
> > code
> > > > > between the parts if a contributor previously used DCO and thus gave
> > > > > only permission to license under the open source license "indicated
> > in
> > > > > the file"?
> > > >
> > > > Depends on which DCO you uses. Various project use the following DCO,
> > > > which makes clear you assign permissions under all applicable licenses
> > > > (this helps if the project uses more than one, possibly incompatible,
> > > > license and/or is dual licensed):
> > >
> > > See above.  The issue is if the project wants to change the status of
> > > a file from GPL to GPL plus exception.  It can't do that if there
> > > was a change to the file made by somebody who did't assign the copyright.
> > > What's said in the DCO you cite doesn't help.
> >
> > Right. The point wasn't so much as "here is the perfect DCO", but more
> > that the DCO as used for the linux kernel project might not be the
> > best for the GCC project given that GCC is not really a monolitic
> > project, but a collection of compiler/runtime modules each with their
> > own licence/exeception statements. So we might need tweaks for the
> > specific way we reuse code between modules. Or when using GPLed code
> > in the GFDLed manual.
> >
>
> This all seems much more of a theoretical issue than a practical one.  We
> don't reuse code between the compiler and the runtimes, and the runtimes
> are all either GPL3+GCC Runtime Exception or under a permissive license, so
> moving code between them isn't a problem.  As far as I know, we have never
> asked the FSF to relicense anything since the GPL3 move except for the
> target macro documentation strings, which are easily handled by changing
> them in both places at once.
>
> Jason

In my experience, the theoretical problem you claim is a real problem.  When
everything is assigned to the FSF any technical use problems (license compatibility)
could be legally solved very simply by re-licensing to whatever is appropriate
because the FSF owned the copyright.

With the change, contributors got to be extremely careful on how they use and
license code.  And it is very easy for people to screw things up for them and others.

Computer Science schools continue to produce graduates lacking practice competency and
new skills required in using legal instruments in the market economy.  And I have seen
lawyers that spent the bulk of their practice years with technology, yet continue
to suffer from hangovers that are the residual of a professional life spent primarily
among other lawyers who practiced in a different era.

Be prepared for a lot of trouble if you want developers to handle licensing independently.
My recommendation has been to continue with the current system of copyright assignment
to a single entity.  And only allow the use of additional contributions for unique and
special situations that arise.  Because there could be a time where you would not be
able to use that piece of code.  The biggest problem is loosing the right to distribution.
The distribution right is problematic in all sorts of ways.  You would then need to re-code
a lot of things again.  That has happened to me before.

So I would say that if you can transfer the copyright, do it.

----- Christopher Dimech

Society has become too quick to pass judgement and declare someone
Persona Non-Grata, the most extreme form of censure a country can
bestow.

In a new era of destructive authoritarianism, I support Richard
Stallman.  Times of great crisis are also times of great
opportunity.  I call upon you to make this struggle yours as well !

https://stallmansupport.org/
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