Re: When is the kernel moving to GPLv3? (probably feeding a troll :)

[Lennart Sorensen <lsorense@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>]

On Thu, Nov 16, 2006 at 09:56:44AM -0700, Jeffrey V. Merkey wrote:
> /"Red Hat has slammed the door shut 
> <http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2059675,00.asp> on any possibility 
> of entering into a patent protection deal similar to the one Microsoft 
> recently announced with Novell, eWeek is reporting. While Microsoft has 
> repeatedly said it wants to work with Red Hat and would like to 
> structure a relationship where its customers can be assured of the same 
> thing as Novell's customers 
> <http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/06/11/02/1957252.shtml?tid=109> now 
> are, Mark Webbink, Red Hat's deputy general counsel, says 'we do not 
> believe there is a need for or basis for the type of relationship 
> defined in the Microsoft-Novell announcement.' Interestingly enough, 
> Microsoft also says that it has not ruled out going it alone and 
> providing some sort of indemnification for its customers who also use 
> Red Hat Linux."/
> 
> "Meanwhile, Eben Moglen, the FSF general counsel, promises that GPLv3 
> will explicitly outlaw 
> <http://money.cnn.com/blogs/legalpad/2006/11/is-microsoft-novell-deal-dead-on.html> 
> deals like this. (Of course everyone's on v2, so calling the Novell deal 
> "DOA" would be premature.)"
> 
> So when is the kernel moving to GPLv3?   I have seen some discussions 
> about moving off v2, is there concensus about moving to v3 to remove
> threats of patent claims against v2 code by M$ and others who may use 
> Linux in hardware based projects.

The "consensus" seems to be: The kernel is currently GPLv2 (and nothing
else) and changing that is almost an imposible task, and the majority of
the major active contributers also don't seem interested in considering
the GPLv3 in its current form.  It really seems to be that simple.

Some people claim Novell's "Deal" isn't even permitted under the GPLv2,
or that the "Deal" has no meaning or purpose at all.

--
Len Sorensen