[consulting] Copyright

[Luigi Bai]

On Saturday, 24 April 2010, Eric Goldhagen wrote:
> At 1:52 PM -0400 4/24/10, George Lee wrote:
> >We stipulate that all code is released under the GPL, so it does not
> >matter who owns the copywrite. If the code is GPL, even if the client
> >is the copywrite owner, I still get to re-use and contribute that
> >code back.
> >
> >
> >But doesn't this impact the code-writer's ability to relicense the 
> >code? Or say there is a part of the code that they want to re-use 
> >for a non-Drupal project or non-GPL project -- then they need 
> >copyright to be able to do that. 
> >
> 
> The GPL does not prevent them from using the code in other ways, as 
> long as those are compatible with the GPL. In fact, the GPL 
> guarantees their right to re-use the code. There are GPL compatible 
> ways of using GPL code in conjunction with software licensed under 
> non-GPL compatible licenses.
> 
> I'm having a hard time thinking of examples of what you are talking 
> about. Can you give me something more specific?
> 
> The way I see it one of the most important aspects of the GPL is that 
> it does not care who owns the copyright, only that it is owned by 
> someone. Owner and non-owners are granted the same rights.
> 
Hi Eric,

Not really. In general, copyright owners are special; they can release the 
code to anyone under any license. Which means the copyright owner could  
release the code to YOU under the GPL, and to someone else under another 
license.

However, if the code cannot be used without Drupal, the copyright owner can't 
release the code to anyone else under any license but the GPL. Of course, 
they don't have to release it to anyone at all.

Luigi