> On Sat, Sep 01, 2007 at 04:08:46PM -0600, Theo de Raadt wrote:
> > > On Sat, Sep 01, 2007 at 11:39:28AM -0600, Theo de Raadt wrote:
> > > > > In the case of the later 3 files, their copyright notice says:
> > > > > "at your choice" you may distribute under the terms of the BSD
> > > > > license or under the terms of the GNU GPL v2
> > > > >
> > > > > So if they chose to distribute those 3 files under the terms of the GNU
> > > > > GPL v2, it is correct to change the copyright notice of those three files
> > > > > alone in order to remove a license that the distributor chose not to use
> > > > > anymore.
> > > >
> > > > Not exactly. I won't quote from the GPL again, but even the GPL has a
> > > > paragraph about this. You must pass on the rights you received.
> > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > >
> > > Yes. The *rights you received* are the central point of the question.
> > > Which did the user receive? The BSD granted ones? Or the GPLv2 granted ones?
> >
> >
> > You received the full rights granted by copyright law as a recipient,
> > PLUS the ones granted by the entire document. But, you did not receive the
> > right to modify the author's license document.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Which is one of two, at the mutually exclusive choice of the user. In the case
> of the three files I see nothing bad done.
>
> > > If some software is dual licensed, you have two sets of rights you can choose.
> > > It's not both at the same time. The text is even explicit: "alternatively"
> >
> > The word "alternatively" means "replace"? It might mean "select", but does
> > it really mean "replace in-line"? What dictionary are you using? If something
> > is not clear in a legal document, who are you to decide what it actually means?
> > That's the author and the courts who work that out, sorry.
>
> Most dictionaries I had at my hand define alternative as choices. You can get
>
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alternative
>
> Noun
> alternative (plural alternatives)
> 1. A situation which allows a choice between two or more possibilities.
> 2. A choice between two or more possibilities.
> 3. One of several things which can be chosen.
>
> If he chose alternative B, the GNU GPLv2, he's bound by the GNU GPLv2 terms, and
> not the BSD ones, or even both at the same time. As such, any derivative from his
> choice on has to be "on the same terms" he got, namely the GNU GPL v2
