Re: [Sheflug] how to release something under the GPL

[Neil R Porter <n.r.porter [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2002-11-29 at 22:18, Alex Hudson wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-11-29 at 22:03, Neil R Porter wrote:
> > One small thing (and academic really as I don't foresee this situation
> > at all!) but after reading the
> > http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html I notice that I write
> > something like Copyright 2002 Neil R Porter first and foremost.  Now, if
> > I release this code under the GPL, can I revoke it? 
> 
> Nope.
>
> > I mean, if I have
> > written at the top of every piece of code Copyright 2002 Neil R Porter,
> > then I still presumably have more 'rights' than others?
> 
> Yes, you own the copyright. You are able to release the code under
> whatever licence you like. You can't, though, revoke licences on
> previous releases.
> 

OK, so as I see it, I cannot revoke the license on previous releases
(seems sensible, and the opposite seems untenable), but surely I would
be breaking that very license on those previous releases if I
subsequently bring out closed source code on the back of previously open
source code?  Am I missing something here?  Perhaps I can do this if I
am the only one who has the copyright on it?  I'd have to get
permissions from the others if not?

Again, I'd like to point out that I don't intend to do this, but I just
want to know where I stand.  Especially since I know I'm going to get
questioned about this from potential users of the code.

Neil

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