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To: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Carlo Wood <carlo@alinoe.com>, Alexandre Oliva <aoliva@redhat.com>,
       Jeremy Maitin-Shepard <jbms@cmu.edu>, Sean <seanlkml@sympatico.ca>,
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       debian developer <debiandev@gmail.com>, david@lang.hm,
       Tarkan Erimer <tarkan@netone.net.tr>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
       Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>, mingo@elte.hu
Subject: Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3
References: <alpine.LFD.0.98.0706141153550.14121@woody.linux-foundation.org>
	<or1wgeco9v.fsf@oliva.athome.lsd.ic.unicamp.br>
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	<alpine.LFD.0.98.0706141545470.14121@woody.linux-foundation.org>
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From: Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk>
Date: 16 Jun 2007 04:00:32 +0100
In-Reply-To: <alpine.LFD.0.98.0706150748180.14121@woody.linux-foundation.org>
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>> "version 2 or higher"

> That phrase exists outside the license

That's true.  But sec. 9 of the GPLv2 says:

  If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you
  may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation.

So, by making the COPYING contain the v2 text, is the author
specifying a particular version?  If yes, then the sec. 9 provision
would be meaningless, since there would be no way to not specify a
version number.  

My understanding is that courts would presume that a license term has
a meaning, if it has a plausible reading.  And there such a reading:
that to specify a version, there needs to be (e.g. in the source
files) a statement like, "This file [or work] is licensed under the
GNU GPLv2."

Corrections, flames, etc. are welcome.

-Sanjoy
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