This is the mail archive of the
ecos-discuss@sourceware.org
mailing list for the eCos project.
Re: Are copyright assignments detrimental to eCos?
Andrew Lunn wrote:
I have looked at the files in eCos Pro, and majority of it has
the GPL license with the linking exception. Is there anything that
would prevent me from merging updated files from eCos Pro back
to the open CVS version?
AFAICS, no, given that you legally received your copy of eCos Pro.
eCoscentric provides a free eCos Pro kit for the Nios processor,
which anyone can download. This would mean that all GPL files in
the kit are free to be merged with the open CVS. Or is there some
other catch ...?
The catch is that in order for it to be included into anoncvs, the
owner of the code has to agree and transfer the copyright to FSF. So i
cannot just pick up eCosCentric code and commit it. eCosCentric have
to agree to it as copyright owner.
So if I contribute code to the anoncvs, I assign the copyright to FSF.
If eCoscentric includes the code into eCos Pro, it will still bear the
FSF copyright. If they then make a bug fix, any licensee of eCos Pro
should be able to submit the fix into anoncvs, since the copyright
is still with FSF and the code is still GPL. Have I got this right?
Or do I need to assign the copyright to eCoscentric before it is
included in the eCos Pro distribution?
What I am trying to avoid is a fork of a potential contribution,
with one version in anoncvs and some other version in eCos Pro.
Jiri.
--
Before posting, please read the FAQ: http://ecos.sourceware.org/fom/ecos
and search the list archive: http://ecos.sourceware.org/ml/ecos-discuss