Question about Licenses.

Question about Licenses.

[marinus.savoritias]

Hi Everyone. 

My name is Fanis and I am a new Guix user coming from Gentoo. I am very interested in the license around the packages I use and I can help but notice some inconsistencies.
For example: 
kdenlive is GPL-2 in the gentoo repositories.
https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/kde-apps/kdenlive <https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/kde-apps/kdenlive>
It also has a link to GPL-2 on their site:
https://kdenlive.org/en/about/ <https://kdenlive.org/en/about/>
But on Guix is GPL-2+.

Is there a source I am not considering? The source is saying GPL-2 in the copying file too.

The other example is Qbittorrent. 
its GPL-2 again in gentoo:
https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent <https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent>
Source is saying GPL-2:
https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING <https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING>
but Guix is saying GPL-2+ again.

Is there a source I am not considering? Does Guix remove some things to make the programs GPL2+?

Regards,
Fanis

Re: Question about Licenses.

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Hi Fanis,

> The other example is Qbittorrent.
> its GPL-2 again in gentoo:
> https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent <https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent>
> Source is saying GPL-2:
> https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING <https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING>
> but Guix is saying GPL-2+ again.

It is correct that the repository contains a copy of the text of version
2 of the GPL in COPYING.  The source files, however, have a license
header that states that version 2 of the license or any later version
applies.  See for example

    https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/src/base/asyncfilestorage.cpp

--
Ricardo

Re: Question about Licenses.

[marinus.savoritias]

Hi Ricardo,

Ok I got it. That raises three questions for me though.
 
1.) I remember from what I have read on gnu.org that if one part of the program is GPL-3 or in general GPL that means everything becomes GPL. So as I understand that is the reason the program becomes GPL-2+, correct? Or does the original license of GPL-2 applies for the whole program?
2.) Should I contact Gentoo to correct it? Because I checked a couple of files from kdenlive too and they said GPL-2+. 
3.) Why are saying that they are GPL-2 then and not GPL-2+? Is it just a case of not updating the COPYING file or their site? Because the Dolphin File Manager also says GPL-2+ in a lot of files but their site says GPL-2.

Regards,
FanisSep 15, 2019, 19:15 by rekado@elephly.net:

>
> Hi Fanis,
>
>> The other example is Qbittorrent.
>> its GPL-2 again in gentoo:
>> https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent <https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/net-p2p/qbittorrent>
>> Source is saying GPL-2:
>> https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING <https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/COPYING>
>> but Guix is saying GPL-2+ again.
>>
>
> It is correct that the repository contains a copy of the text of version
> 2 of the GPL in COPYING.  The source files, however, have a license
> header that states that version 2 of the license or any later version
> applies.  See for example
>
>  https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/src/base/asyncfilestorage.cpp
>
> --
> Ricardo
>

Re: Question about Licenses.

[Jesse Gibbons]

Hi Marinus,

On Sun, 2019-09-15 at 17:51 +0200, marinus.savoritias@tuta.io wrote:
> Hi Everyone. 
> 
> My name is Fanis and I am a new Guix user coming from Gentoo. I am
> very interested in the license around the packages I use and I can
> help but notice some inconsistencies.
> For example: 
> kdenlive is GPL-2 in the gentoo repositories.
> https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/kde-apps/kdenlive <https://packa
> ges.gentoo.org/packages/kde-apps/kdenlive>
> It also has a link to GPL-2 on their site:
> https://kdenlive.org/en/about/ <https://kdenlive.org/en/about/>
> But on Guix is GPL-2+.
> 
> Is there a source I am not considering? The source is saying GPL-2 in
> the copying file too.

Just browsing the kdenlive cgit...

https://cgit.kde.org/kdenlive.git/tree/src/core.cpp
kdenlive has some GPL-3+ code in its repository.

https://cgit.kde.org/kdenlive.git/tree/src/capture/mltdevicecapture.cpp
kdenlive has some GPL-2+ code in its repository.
 
The license in the package definition should be a list including GPL-2+ 
and GPL-3+, and the kdenlive maintainers should update the README
file. 

I usually search source for "(at your option)" (outside /COPYING
because the string is in the GNU licenses) to determine the license
specifics.

> 
> Regards,
> Fanis

-- 
-Jesse