www/licenses quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.pn...

[Brett Smith]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Brett Smith <brett>     07/11/08 19:18:35

Added files:
        licenses       : quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png 
                         quick-guide-gplv3.html quick-guide-gplv3.pdf 
                         quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz 

Log message:
        New essay: A Quick Guide to GPLv3

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png?cvsroot=www&rev=1.1
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html?cvsroot=www&rev=1.1
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.pdf?cvsroot=www&rev=1.1
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz?cvsroot=www&rev=1.1

Patches:
Index: quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png
===================================================================
RCS file: quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png
diff -N quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png
Binary files /dev/null and /tmp/cvswvnIKn differ

Index: quick-guide-gplv3.html
===================================================================
RCS file: quick-guide-gplv3.html
diff -N quick-guide-gplv3.html
--- /dev/null   1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 -0000
+++ quick-guide-gplv3.html      8 Nov 2007 19:16:57 -0000       1.1
@@ -0,0 +1,340 @@
+<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
+<title>A Quick Guide to GPLv3 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation 
(FSF)</title>
+<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
+<h2>A Quick Guide to GPLv3</h2>
+
+<!-- This document uses XHTML 1.0 Strict, but may be served as -->
+<!-- text/html.  Please ensure that markup style considers -->
+<!-- appendex C of the XHTML 1.0 standard. See validator.w3.org. -->
+
+<!-- Please ensure links are consistent with Apache's MultiView. -->
+<!-- Change include statements to be consistent with the relevant -->
+<!-- language, where necessary. -->
+
+<p>by <strong>Brett Smith</strong></p>
+
+<p>[This article is also available in <a
+href="/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.pdf">PDF</a> and <a
+href="/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz">reStructuredText</a>
+formats.]</p>
+
+<p>After a year and a half of public consultation, thousands of comments, and
+four drafts, version 3 of the GNU General Public License (<a class="reference 
external" href="/licenses/gpl-3.0.html">GPLv3</a>) was
+finally published on June 29.  While there's been a lot of discussion about
+the license since the first draft appeared, not many people have talked
+about the benefits that it provides developers.  We've published this guide
+to fill that gap.  We'll start with a brief refresher on free software,
+copyleft, and the goals of the GPL.  We'll then review the major changes in
+the license to see how they advance those goals and benefit developers.</p>
+<div class="section" id="the-foundations-of-the-gpl">
+<h2>The Foundations of the GPL</h2>
+<p>Nobody should be restricted by the software they use.  There are four
+freedoms that every user should have:</p>
+<ul class="simple">
+<li>the freedom to use the software for any purpose,</li>
+<li>the freedom to share the software with your friends and neighbors,</li>
+<li>the freedom to change the software to suit your needs, and</li>
+<li>the freedom to share the changes you make.</li>
+</ul>
+<p>When a program offers users all of these freedoms, we call it <a 
class="reference external" href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free
+software</a>.</p>
+<p>Developers who write software can release it under the terms of the GNU
+GPL.  When they do, it will be free software and stay free software, no
+matter who changes or distributes the program.  We call this copyleft: the
+software is copyrighted, but instead of using those rights to restrict
+users like proprietary software does, we use them to ensure that
+every user has freedom.</p>
+<p>We update the GPL to protect its copyleft from being undermined by legal or
+technological developments.  The most recent version protects users from
+three recent threats:</p>
+<ul class="simple">
+<li>Tivoization: Some companies have created various different kinds of
+devices that run GPLed software, and then rigged the hardware so that
+they can change the software that's running, but you cannot.  If a device
+can run arbitrary software, it's a general-purpose computer, and its
+owner should control what it does.  When a device thwarts you from doing
+that, we call that tivoization.</li>
+<li>Laws prohibiting free software: Legislation like the Digital Millennium
+Copyright Act and the European Union Copyright Directive make it a crime
+to write or share software that can break DRM.  These laws should not
+interfere with the rights the GPL grants you.</li>
+<li>Discriminatory patent deals: Microsoft has recently started telling
+people that they will not sue free software users for patent infringement—as 
long as you get the software from a vendor that's paying
+Microsoft for the privilege.  Ultimately, Microsoft is trying to collect
+royalties for the use of free software, which interferes with users'
+freedom.  No company should be able to do this.</li>
+</ul>
+<p>Version 3 also has a number of improvements to make the license easier for
+everyone to use and understand.  But even with all these changes, GPLv3
+isn't a radical new license; instead it's an evolution of the previous
+version.  Though a lot of text has changed, much of it simply clarifies
+what GPLv2 said.  With that in mind, let's review the major changes in
+GPLv3, and talk about how they improve the license for users and
+developers.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" 
id="neutralizing-laws-that-prohibit-free-software-but-not-forbidding-drm">
+<h2>Neutralizing Laws That Prohibit Free Software – But Not Forbidding 
DRM</h2>
+<p>You're probably familiar with the Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) on
+DVDs and other media.  You're probably also familiar with the laws that
+make it illegal to write your own tools to bypass those restrictions, like
+the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the European Union Copyright
+Directive.  Nobody should be able to stop you from writing any code that
+want, and GPLv3 protects this right for you.</p>
+<p>It's always possible to use GPLed code to write software that implements
+DRM.  However, if someone does that with code protected by GPLv3, section 3
+says that the system will not count as an effective technological
+&quot;protection&quot; measure.  This means that if you break the DRM, you'll 
be free
+to distribute your own software that does that, and you won't be threatened
+by the DMCA or similar laws.</p>
+<p>As usual, the GNU GPL does not restrict what people do in software; it just
+stops them from restricting others.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="protecting-your-right-to-tinker">
+<h2>Protecting Your Right to Tinker</h2>
+<p>Tivoization is a dangerous attempt to curtail users' freedom: the right to
+modify your software will become meaningless if none of your computers let
+you do it.  GPLv3 stops tivoization by requiring the distributor to provide
+you with whatever information or data is necessary to install modified
+software on the device.  This may be as simple as a set of instructions, or
+it may include special data such as cryptographic keys or information about
+how to bypass an integrity check in the hardware.  It will depend on how
+the hardware was designed—but no matter what information you need, you
+must be able to get it.</p>
+<p>This requirement is limited in scope.  Distributors are still allowed to
+use cryptographic keys for any purpose, and they'll only be required to
+disclose a key if you need it to modify GPLed software on the device they
+gave you.  The GNU Project itself uses GnuPG to prove the integrity of all
+the software on its FTP site, and measures like that are beneficial to
+users.  GPLv3 does not stop people from using cryptography; we wouldn't
+want it to.  It only stops people from taking away the rights that the
+license provides you—whether through patent law, technology, or any
+other means.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="stronger-protection-against-patent-threats">
+<h2>Stronger Protection Against Patent Threats</h2>
+<p>In the 17 years since GPLv2 was published, the software patent landscape
+has changed considerably, and free software licenses have developed new
+strategies to address them.  GPLv3 reflects these changes too.  Whenever
+someone conveys software covered by GPLv3 that they've written or modified,
+they must provide every recipient with any patent licenses necessary to
+exercise the rights that the GPL gives them.  In addition to that, if any
+licensee tries to use a patent suit to stop another user from exercising
+those rights, their license will be terminated.</p>
+<p>What this means for users and developers is that they'll be able to work
+with GPLv3-covered software without worrying that a desperate contributor
+will try to sue them for patent infringement later.  With these changes,
+GPLv3 affords its users more defenses against patent aggression than any
+other free software license.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="clarifying-license-compatibility">
+<h2>Clarifying License Compatibility</h2>
+<p>If you found some code and wanted to incorporate it into a GPLed project,
+GPLv2 said that the license on the other code was not allowed to have any
+restrictions that were not already in GPLv2.  As long as that was the case,
+we said the license was GPL-compatible.</p>
+<p>However, some licenses had requirements that weren't really restrictive,
+because they were so easy to comply with.  For example, some licenses say
+that they don't give you permission to use certain trademarks.  That's not
+really an additional restriction: if that clause wasn't there, you still
+wouldn't have permission to use the trademark.  We always said those
+licenses were compatible with GPLv2, too.</p>
+<p>Now, GPLv3 explicitly gives everyone permission to use code that has
+requirements like this.  These new terms should help clear up
+misunderstandings about which licenses are GPL-compatible, why that is, and
+what you can do with GPL-compatible code.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="new-compatible-licenses">
+<h2>New Compatible Licenses</h2>
+<p>In addition to clarifying the rules about licenses that are already
+GPL-compatible, GPLv3 is also newly compatible with a few other licenses.
+The Apache License 2.0 is a prime example.  Lots of great free software is
+available under this license, with strong communities surrounding it.  We
+hope that this change in GPLv3 will foster more cooperation and sharing
+within the free software community.  The chart below helps illustrate some
+common compatibility relationships between different free software
+licenses:</p>
+<div align="center" class="align-center"><img alt="A chart illustrating 
compatibility relationships between different free software licenses.  For 
details, see the FSF's license list page." class="align-center" 
src="quick-guide-gplv3-compatibility.png" style="width: 594px; height: 498px;" 
/></div>
+<p>Arrows pointing from one license to another indicate that the first license
+is compatible with the second.  This is true even if you follow multiple
+arrows to get from one license to the other; so, for example, the ISC
+license is compatible with GPLv3.  GPLv2 is compatible with GPLv3 if the
+program allows you to choose &quot;any later version&quot; of the GPL, which 
is the
+case for most software released under this license.  This diagram is not
+comprehensive (see <a class="reference external" 
href="/licenses/license-list.html">our licenses page</a> for a more complete 
list of licenses
+compatible with GPLv2 and GPLv3), but plainly illustrates that GPLv3
+is compatible with just about everything GPLv2 is, and then some.</p>
+<p>The GNU Affero GPL version 3 has also been brought into the fold.  The
+original Affero GPL was designed to ensure that all users of a web
+application would be able to receive its source.  The GNU Affero GPL
+version 3 broadens this goal: it is applicable to all network-interactive
+software, so it will also work well for programs like game servers.  The
+additional provision is also more flexible, so that if someone uses AGPLed
+source in an application without a network interface, they'll only have to
+provide source in the same sort of way the GPL has always required.
+By making these two licenses compatible, developers of network-interactive
+software will be able to strengthen their copyleft while still building on
+top of the mature body of GPLed code available to them.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="more-ways-for-developers-to-provide-source">
+<h2>More Ways for Developers to Provide Source</h2>
+<p>One of the fundamental requirements of the GPL is that when you distribute
+object code to users, you must also provide them with a way to get the
+source.  GPLv2 gave you a few ways to do this, and GPLv3 keeps those intact
+with some clarification.  It also offers you new ways to provide source
+when you convey object code over a network.  For instance, when you host
+object code on a web or FTP server, you can simply provide instructions
+that tell visitors how to get the source from a third-party server.  Thanks
+to this new option, fulfilling this requirement should be easier for many
+small distributors who only make a few changes to large bodies of source.</p>
+<p>The new license also makes it much easier to convey object code via
+BitTorrent.  First, people who are merely downloading or seeding the
+torrent are exempt from the license's requirements for conveying the
+software.  Then, whoever starts the torrent can provide source by simply
+telling other torrent users where it is available on a public network
+server.</p>
+<p>These new options help keep the GPL in line with community standards for
+offering source, without making it harder for users to get.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" 
id="less-source-to-distribute-new-system-libraries-exception">
+<h2>Less Source to Distribute: New System Libraries Exception</h2>
+<p>Both versions of the GPL require you to provide all the source necessary to
+build the software, including supporting libraries, compilation scripts,
+and so on.  They also draw the line at System Libraries: you're not
+required to provide the source for certain core components of the operating
+system, such as the C library.</p>
+<p>GPLv3 has adjusted the definition of System Library to include software
+that may not come directly with the operating system, but that all users of
+the software can reasonably be expected to have.  For example, it now also
+includes the standard libraries of common programming languages such as
+Python and Ruby.</p>
+<p>The new definition also makes it clear that you can combine GPLed software
+with GPL-incompatible System Libraries, such as OpenSolaris' C library, and
+distribute them both together.  These changes will make life easier for
+free software distributors who want to provide these combinations to their
+users.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="a-global-license">
+<h2>A Global License</h2>
+<p>GPLv2 talks about &quot;distribution&quot; a lot—when you share the 
program
+with someone else, you're distributing it.  The license never says what
+distribution is, because the term was borrowed from United States copyright
+law.  We expected that judges would look there for the definition.
+However, we later found out that copyright laws in other countries use the
+same word, but give it different meanings.  Because of this, a judge in
+such a country might analyze GPLv2 differently than a judge in the United
+States.</p>
+<p>GPLv3 uses a new term, &quot;convey,&quot; and provides a definition for 
that term.
+&quot;Convey&quot; has the same meaning we intended for 
&quot;distribute,&quot; but now that
+this is explained directly in the license, it should be easy for people
+everywhere to understand what we meant.  There are other minor changes
+throughout the license that will also help ensure it is applied
+consistently worldwide.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" 
id="when-the-rules-are-broken-a-smooth-path-to-compliance">
+<h2>When the Rules Are Broken: A Smooth Path to Compliance</h2>
+<p>Under GPLv2, if you violated the license in any way, your rights were
+automatically and permanently lost.  The only way to get them back was to
+petition the copyright holder.  While a strong defense against violations
+is valuable, this policy could cause a lot of headache when someone
+accidentally ran afoul of the rules.  Asking all the copyright holders for
+a formal restoration of the license could be burdensome and costly: a
+typical GNU/Linux distribution draws upon the work of thousands.</p>
+<p>GPLv3 offers a reprieve for good behavior: if you violate the license,
+you'll get your rights back once you stop the violation, unless a copyright
+holder contacts you within 60 days.  After you receive such a notice, you
+can have your rights fully restored if you're a first-time violator and
+correct the violation within 30 days.  Otherwise, you can work out the
+issue on a case-by-case basis with the copyright holders who contacted you,
+and your rights will be restored afterward.</p>
+<p>Compliance with the GPL has always been the top priority of the FSF
+Compliance Lab and other groups enforcing the license worldwide.  These
+changes ensure that compliance remains the top priority for enforcers, and
+gives violators incentive to comply.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="section" id="the-latest-and-greatest">
+<h2>The Latest and Greatest</h2>
+<p>Some of these changes probably seem less important to you than others.
+That's okay.  Every project is different, and needs different things from
+its license.  But odds are that a number of these improvements will help
+you and your work.</p>
+<p>And taken as a whole, all these upgrades represent something more: we made
+a better copyleft.  It does more to protect users' freedom, but it also
+enables more cooperation in the free software community.  But updating the
+license is only part of the job: in order for people to get the benefits it
+offers, developers need to use GPLv3 for their projects, too.  By releasing
+your own software under the new license, everyone who deals with it—users, 
other developers, distributors, even lawyers—will benefit.  We
+hope you'll use GPLv3 for your next release.</p>
+<p>If you'd like to learn more about upgrading your project to GPLv3, the FSF
+Compliance Lab would be happy to assist you.  On <a class="reference external" 
href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/";>our web site</a>, you can
+find <a class="reference external" 
href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-howto.html";>basic instructions 
for using the license</a>, and an <a class="reference external" 
href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html";>FAQ addressing
+common concerns</a> that people have about it.  If your situation is more
+complicated than that, please <a class="reference external" 
href="mailto:licensing&#64;fsf.org";>contact us</a> and we'll do what we can to
+help you with your transition.  Together, we can help protect freedom for
+all users.</p>
+</div>
+
+<!-- If needed, change the copyright block at the bottom. In general, -->
+<!-- all pages on the GNU web server should have the section about    -->
+<!-- verbatim copying.  Please do NOT remove this without talking     -->
+<!-- with the webmasters first. --> 
+<!-- Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the document -->
+<!-- and that it is like this "2001, 2002" not this "2001-2002." -->
+</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
+<div id="footer">
+
+<p>
+Please send FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to 
+<a href="mailto:address@hidden";><em>address@hidden</em></a>.
+There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> 
+the FSF.
+<br />
+Please send broken links and other corrections or suggestions to
+<a href="mailto:address@hidden";><em>address@hidden</em></a>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Please see the 
+<a href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
+README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting
+translations of this article.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Copyright &copy; 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+<br />
+Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article are permitted
+worldwide without royalty in any medium provided this notice is preserved.</p>
+
+<p>
+Updated:
+<!-- timestamp start -->
+$Date: 2007/11/08 19:16:57 $
+<!-- timestamp end -->
+</p>
+</div>
+
+<div id="translations">
+<h3>Translations of this page:</h3>
+
+<!-- Please keep this list alphabetical. -->
+<!-- Comment what the language is for each type, i.e. de is Deutsch.-->
+<!-- If you add a new language here, please -->
+<!-- advise address@hidden and add it to -->
+<!--  - /home/www/bin/nightly-vars either TAGSLANG or WEBLANG -->
+<!--  - /home/www/html/server/standards/README.translations.html -->
+<!--  - one of the lists under the section "Translations Underway" -->
+<!--  - if there is a translation team, you also have to add an alias -->
+<!--  to mail.gnu.org:/com/mailer/aliases -->
+<!-- Please also check you have the 2 letter language code right versus -->
+<!-- <URL:http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/iso639.htm> -->
+<!-- Please use W3C normative character entities -->
+
+<ul>
+<!-- English -->
+<li><a href="/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html">English</a>&nbsp;[en]</li>
+</ul>
+</div>
+</div>
+</body>
+</html>

Index: quick-guide-gplv3.pdf
===================================================================
RCS file: quick-guide-gplv3.pdf
diff -N quick-guide-gplv3.pdf
Binary files /dev/null and /tmp/cvsilNZcp differ

Index: quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz
===================================================================
RCS file: quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz
diff -N quick-guide-gplv3.tar.gz
Binary files /dev/null and /tmp/cvsVtyRSp differ