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New The riddle is trivial
Section 6 says:
6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further
restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
this License.

This means that the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to operate under the GPL v2. You are not allowed to interfere with this license grant. You are not responsible for making sure that others operate within the license grant.

Therefore if you distribute to someone else under GPL v2 or later, you have met the requirements of section 6. The work is available under the GPL v2, as required. You've done nothing to impose any restrictions on people's ability to take full advantage of the GPL v2. You've met the requirements. The option of GPL v2 must be available, and is. It is not your responsibility if people take advantage of other choices.

Now for a common sense question. Wouldn't [link|http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#VersionTwoOrLater|Why should programs say "Version 2 of the GPL or any later version"?] be pretty ridiculous if an issue like the one you suggest exists actually existed? The entire point of saying GPL v2 or later is so that changes (including tightening the license) can be made later. If doing so caused a problem, that would be a pretty big issue. Wouldn't you expect someone to have come up with it already?

Now both of us have suggested that the other talk to an attorney about the GPL v2. Which begs the question of which of us actually has talked with attorneys about the GPL v2? I know that I have. Enough of them at enough length that I don't want to bother them with a question that I know the answer to already, and which the ones that I know know that I should know the answer to as well. (Besides would you believe me if I said, "OK, a lawyer confirmed my opinion"?)

However if you want to ask you can always subscribe to the appropriate list (license-discuss-subscribe@opensource.org would be appropriate...) and ask there. Please be sure to report back with their answers. :-)

Cheers,
Ben
I have come to believe that idealism without discipline is a quick road to disaster, while discipline without idealism is pointless. -- Aaron Ward (my brother)
New Ah, Ben, you didn't meditate.

Again, I ask you: when Section 6 says "these terms and conditions", to which terms and conditions is it referring? I don't honestly see how it could be referring to any terms and conditions besides those of version 2 of the GPL. Now re-think your answer in light of this information, and have your lawyers friends do the same.

\r\n\r\n

And if you could point me to a publicly archived mailing list where this has been asked, and answered by a licensed attorney who practices in the field of copyright law (even better if they routinely work with GPL issues), then I just might be more inclined to believe you.

\r\n\r\n

And as for the "don't you think they'd have come up with it already" argument, I do wonder whether anyone ever sat down and thought out what would happen if a future version of the GPL wasn't compatible with previous versions; as I read it (and, dear Ben, I used to literally do IP research for a living, as that was what got me my grant money in school, so I'd like to think I can read a license and get the salient points), the GPL is rather optimistically written with the assumption that future versions will remain compatible.

--\r\nYou cooin' with my bird?
\r\n[link|http://www.shtuff.us/|shtuff]
New I don't know of anywhere that this has been asked
Which only goes to say that I don't know of anyone who has chosen to misunderstand things in the way that you have chosen to misunderstand them. But I pointed you at a list where you can ask, and you are likely to be answered by multiple lawyers who are deeply involved in free software. (And therefore should be expected to understand the GPL v2 pretty well.)

To answer your specific question, the phrase these terms and conditions in the GPL v2 do indeed refer to the GPL v2. Section 6 therefore says that if you follow the GPL v2, then anyone who receives the Program from you automatically receives a GPL v2 license for the Program, and you may not restrict their free use of the permissions that the GPL v2 provides them. Which, if your modified version is offered under the GPL v2, you haven't.

This says nothing about what other licenses may or may not be available to the recipient under what terms. Just that the GPL v2 must be available, and you must not impose any restrictions on their freedom to use the permissions granted by the GPL v2.

As for whether anyone has thought about this topic, when the GPL v2 was drawn up, certainly people thought about the issue of how to migrate from version to version. After all license migration was at the time an interesting topic, considering that they were trying to figure out how to migrate from the original GPL to the GPL v2. That's why the GPL v2 has instructions for people to follow which were meant to smooth the way to the GPL v3 when that came around.

Cheers,
Ben
I have come to believe that idealism without discipline is a quick road to disaster, while discipline without idealism is pointless. -- Aaron Ward (my brother)
New Future versions don't have to remain compatible
... the GPL is rather optimistically written with the assumption that future versions will remain compatible.
No it's not. If you assume every future version will remain compatible with the current version, you have no reason to specify "or any later version". If, on the other hand, you assume that future versions will be incompatible, then you can offer in your license terms the option to release under any future version of the GPL. And anyone redistributing it can choose which of those -- v2 or any later version -- to attach.

Hell, if you wanted to be perverse, you could take a "GPL v2 or any later" program, modify it, and attach a license specifying "GPL v7 only". Now that would effectively take your fork proprietary. Cool, huh?
===

Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
[link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
     More good points - (imric) - (66)
         Re: More good points - (ubernostrum) - (63)
             Technical mistake - (ben_tilly) - (61)
                 I'm not so sure - (ubernostrum) - (60)
                     Nope. Talk to a lawyer. - (ben_tilly) - (59)
                         That's the thing - (ubernostrum) - (58)
                             You've missed the point, let me simplify - (ben_tilly) - (57)
                                 How do modifications/contributions work, then? - (ubernostrum) - (56)
                                     Any lawyer will tell you that that is a non-issue - (ben_tilly) - (55)
                                         Doesn't change anything - (ubernostrum) - (54)
                                             I suggest that you talk to a lawyer if you're concerned - (ben_tilly) - (53)
                                                 OK, bad wording. - (ubernostrum) - (52)
                                                     Again, you're not a lawyer. Don't try to play one. - (ben_tilly) - (51)
                                                         A question - (ubernostrum) - (50)
                                                             Answer - (ben_tilly) - (49)
                                                                 But it does - (ubernostrum) - (48)
                                                                     I granted one point, not the other - (ben_tilly) - (47)
                                                                         Let's try it again, then - (ubernostrum) - (44)
                                                                             Ahh, now I get you - (drewk) - (4)
                                                                                 Not quite - (ubernostrum) - (3)
                                                                                     I'm trying to figure out why you don't "get" this - (ben_tilly) - (2)
                                                                                         Modifications are only made under the terms of one license - (ubernostrum) - (1)
                                                                                             Where does the GPL v2 say that? - (ben_tilly)
                                                                             Step 4 is wrong. - (ben_tilly) - (38)
                                                                                 Re: Step 4 is wrong. - (ubernostrum) - (37)
                                                                                     Re: Step 4 is wrong. - (altmann) - (11)
                                                                                         Half-right - (ben_tilly) - (10)
                                                                                             Not so sure. - (altmann) - (9)
                                                                                                 Hrm... - (ben_tilly) - (4)
                                                                                                     You can mix it, but wouldn't it all become v2 only? - (drewk) - (3)
                                                                                                         Yabut.. - (ben_tilly) - (2)
                                                                                                             Depends on which came first - (drewk) - (1)
                                                                                                                 Read atcroft's question again - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                                 Well, my instincts don't seem bad... - (ben_tilly) - (3)
                                                                                                     Wait a minute. - (ubernostrum) - (2)
                                                                                                         Not quite. - (altmann) - (1)
                                                                                                             You got it -NT - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                     Step 7 in your logic is wrong - (ben_tilly) - (24)
                                                                                         Re: Step 7 in your logic is wrong - (ubernostrum) - (23)
                                                                                             You are not doing that though! - (ben_tilly) - (22)
                                                                                                 Re: You are not doing that though! - (ubernostrum) - (21)
                                                                                                     BUT YOU'RE NOT IMPOSING!!! - (ben_tilly) - (19)
                                                                                                         BUT FREEDOM MUST BE FREE! - (ubernostrum) - (18)
                                                                                                             Are you actively trying to be stupid? - (ben_tilly) - (17)
                                                                                                                 This is entertaining; but weirdly hypothetical, isn't it? - (Another Scott) - (1)
                                                                                                                     Here's some clarifications on your take. - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                                                 Your mother was a hamster - (ubernostrum) - (8)
                                                                                                                     Interesting - (ben_tilly) - (7)
                                                                                                                         Ben, you ignorant slut - (ubernostrum) - (6)
                                                                                                                             Your intended point was not what you accomplished - (ben_tilly) - (5)
                                                                                                                                 Riddle me this - (ubernostrum) - (4)
                                                                                                                                     The riddle is trivial - (ben_tilly) - (3)
                                                                                                                                         Ah, Ben, you didn't meditate. - (ubernostrum) - (2)
                                                                                                                                             I don't know of anywhere that this has been asked - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                                                                             Future versions don't have to remain compatible - (drewk)
                                                                                                                 And your father smelt of elderberries - (ubernostrum) - (3)
                                                                                                                     And you have the brains of a chihuahua - (ben_tilly) - (2)
                                                                                                                         See, here's the thing - (ubernostrum) - (1)
                                                                                                                             That is a misunderstanding I hadn't quite anticipated - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                                                 Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time - (ubernostrum) - (1)
                                                                                                                     What do the other definitions say? - (ben_tilly)
                                                                                                     What does this mean? - (drewk)
                                                                         Re: I granted one point, not the other - (bepatient) - (1)
                                                                             No, we really are arguing different points - (ben_tilly)
             Well, the actual draft isn't available yet. - (imric)
         I don't really have a dog in this fight - (hnick) - (1)
             Actually they started as extremists -NT - (ben_tilly)

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