[wp-hackers] On Submitting Code

[Nicolas Kuttler]

On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 10:17:24PM +1000, Jeremy Visser wrote:
> Even without a code submission policy, it is 100% clear that all
> contributions to WordPress fall under the GPL. There is no doubt about
> that. The LICENSE.txt file is included with every copy of WordPress,
> which clearly talks about derivative works. A code contribution policy
> will not clarify that.

Not at all. Please see the official docs on how to apply the GPL:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html

Personally, I think it's absurd to think that a LICENSE.txt file
dumped in some directory magically attaches itself to everything
contained in that directory. See also

$ rgrep "@license" wp-*
wp-admin/includes/class-ftp.php: * @license LGPL License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
wp-admin/includes/class-ftp-pure.php: * @license LGPL License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
wp-admin/includes/class-ftp-pure.php: * @license LGPL License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
wp-admin/includes/class-ftp-sockets.php: * @license LGPL License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
wp-admin/includes/class-ftp-sockets.php: * @license LGPL License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
wp-content/plugins/wp-syntax/geshi/geshi.php: * @license http://gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL
wp-content/plugins/wp-syntax/geshi/geshi.php:     * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lgpl.html
wp-includes/class-IXR.php: * @license BSD License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php
wp-includes/class-simplepie.php: * @license http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php BSD License
wp-includes/class-simplepie.php: * @license http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php
wp-includes/rss.php: * @license GPL
wp-includes/class-json.php: * @license http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php

There obviously is code in the tree that's not GPL, and maybe code
that's not obviously GPL v2 only. Does the LICENSE.txt apply to those
files as well?

Yeah, sure, you can argue that when there is an explicit license it
overrides LICENSE.txt, but really, why ignore what the author of the
license recommends.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html (again)

Nicolas

--
Nicolas Kuttler
wp at nkuttler.de

http://www.nkuttler.de
http://www.nicolaskuttler.de (deutsch)