Re: copyright assignment: joined ownership? (fwd)

Re: copyright assignment: joined ownership? (fwd)

[Richard Kenner]

    Forward at the request of RMS: I believe he is saying FSF copyright
    assignment allows the original author to use the source code in any
    way, including distributing it under other licenses or in proprietary
    software.

That has always been my understanding of the assignment agreement as well.

Re: copyright assignment: joined ownership? (fwd)

[Andy Tai]

Forward at the request of RMS: I believe he is saying FSF copyright assignment
allows the original author to use the source code in any way, including 
distributing it under other licenses or in proprietary software.
Disclaimer: I am an outsider to the matter at hand.

Forwarded message:
> Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 08:40:11 -0600 (MDT)
> Message-Id: <200005241440.IAA04435@wijiji.santafe.edu>
> From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
> Subject: Re: copyright assignment: joined ownership?
> Reply-to: rms@gnu.org
> 
>     Mr. Stallman, this is just a small suggestion. Maybe the FSF can consider
>     allowing joined ownership of copyright of source code. 
> 
> I don't believe this is legally possible.
> 
>     FSF can require that the assigned or joinly owned code, and their
>     derivatives, must be always available under the GPL, but the
>     original author can release the source code under additional,
>     different licenses or ways.
> 
> That is the way we do things now.  The contributor always has the
> option of using his own contribution in any way whatever.  That's
> because our assignment contracts explicitly say so.
> 
> So it looks like you're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.
> It is just a misunderstanding.  Would you please pass the word?
> 
> 


-- 
Andy Tai, atai@atai.org
Free software:  the software by the people, of the people and for the people,
worldwide.  Develop! Share! Enhance! And enjoy!