[AWS] Removing the GMGPL exception text from all source files

[Ludovic Brenta]

Tero Koskinen writes:
> On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:47:13 +0200 Ludovic Brenta wrote:
>> Ted Dennison writes:
>> > Ludovic Brenta wrote:
>> >> In order to reduce confusion in the minds of users of Debian, I have
>> >> removed the GMGPL exception text from all source files.  The patch is
>> >> attached.
>
> Are you talking about aws-gpl-2.5.0-src.tgz from libre.adacore.com?

No, I'm talking about a checkout from AdaCore's Subversion repository.

> It doesn't seem to have GMGPL exceptions.
> (MD5 (aws-gpl-2.5.0-src.tgz) = 904f385d338afd3a18473c75337bb288)
>
> But there are some other problems with the source tarball.

Yes, I hope AdaCore fix that.  The Debian source tarball doesn't have
these files, as I created it from a Subversion checkout.

> If I have understood correctly, you can still download GMGPL versions
> from Adacore public SVN (http://svn.eu.adacore.com/anonsvn/Dev).

No - pure GPL only according to AdaCore.

> Or alternatively, if you mean that SVN versions are also pure GPL, then
> it raises a question about external contributions (how to handle them?).
>
> Having original sources under pure GPL forces also contributions going
> under pure GPL and then they would contaminate the (commercial) GMGPL
> versions also. (I am assuming that the all contributions will be merged
> to the GNAT Pro sources, since it would be troublesome to maintain
> multiple different branches/versions. I guess the contributions would
> require then some copyright assignment deal, but readme.txt doesn't
> talk about it.)

Good question.  IANAL but I think there are two possible situations.

Contributor A uses GNAT GPL or GAP, so they only received a pure GPL
license from AdaCore.  Their patches are "derived works" of AWS, so
they must license them back to AdaCore under terms of the pure GPL.
Without a copyright assignment, AdaCore cannot change the terms to add
a "special exception" for use by their customers, so they would
probably refuse to merge these patches into AWS.

Contributor B is a GNAT Pro user; they therefore received a GMGPL
license from AdaCore.  If they license their patches to AdaCore under
GMGPL, then AdaCore can merge them, retain the "special exception" for
their GNAT Pro paying customers *and* revoke the "special exception"
for GNAT GPL and GAP editions.

But Contributor B may also choose to license their patches under pure
GPL, leaving AdaCore in the same situation as Contributor A.

> If you are correct about SVN sources being pure GPL, then "License"
> section in readme.txt also needs a change, since it has following text:

>> License
>> -------
>>
>> AWS is distributed under a dual licencing. The AWS/GPL to be used with GNAT
>> GPL Edition and AWS/GMGPL.
>>
>> AWS/GMGPL (GNAT Modified GPL) ensures that commercial applications can
>> be built using AWS. Note that AWS comes with a set of
>> components. Those components are using a license compatible with the
>> AWS's one. For information about component's individual licenses see
>> include/readme.txt.

I agree that this could be clarified but it is not for me to do that.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.