From: Marcus Sundberg <mackan@stacken.kth.se>
  To  : ggi-develop@eskimo.com
  Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 04:13:48 +0000

Re: fbcon-kgi.c licensing problem

Aaron Gaudio wrote:
> > * Linus is not any more important in a legal sense than anyone else who
> > has contributed kernel code.  What if Alan Cox disagrees with him?
> 
> But he is. Linux is the kernel and Linus is the copyright.

GPL is the license and Linus is one of many copyright holders.

> Linus has discretion
> over the copyright the kernel code is covered over. He therefore has the
> power to change the copyright, modify it, or clarify it as he sees fit,
> despite the "original" intent of the GPL.

First of all you're confusing "copyright" with "license".
"Copyright" is exactly what it sounds like - the exclusive right to
decide who is allowed to copy your work and who is not. At least
in Europe you have by default copyright on everything you create,
provided that it is of some originality.

"License" is a set of terms and conditions under which you allow
people to use a work you have the copyright on.

Linus only has "power" over code which he have the copyright on.
All other code is the property of it's respective copyright holder,
and Linus may not do anything with it without permission from that
person.

//Marcus
-- 
-------------------------------+------------------------------------
        Marcus Sundberg        | http://www.stacken.kth.se/~mackan/
 Royal Institute of Technology |       Phone: +46 707 295404
       Stockholm, Sweden       |   E-Mail: mackan@stacken.kth.se