[development] GPL policy: request for clarification

[Gerhard Killesreiter]

Nedjo Rogers wrote:
>> Since the details and reason for this policy seem worthy of capturing 
>> for posterity, I've drafted a brief handbook page, 
>> http://drupal.org/node/66113.
>
> A small addendum. The LGPL permits the relicensing of any single copy 
> of an LGPL library from LGPL to GPL (article 3 of the LGPL, 
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html). In three cases in the 
> Javascript Tools package (jscalendar, wforms, columns) I have 
> relicensed LGPL libraries to GPL and included them in CVS. Other 
> modules using LGPL code, e.g., TinyMCE, presumably could choose to do 
> the same. This practice is in full compliance with the GPL. I assume 
> it's also in full compliance with Drupal CVS policies, as the software 
> in CVS has only one license, the GPL.
>
> If there are any issues with this approach, please speak up! 
> Otherwise, I'll add a note on this to the Handbook page.
>


I am ok with the relicensing (but I know that Dries doesn't really like 
it), but what I am not ok with is that you included third party software 
in our cvs. This is generally not a good idea because people might not 
get the most recent version of the software that is available from the 
original author. It also bloats our cvs which already has more than half 
a GB.

I know that this way of handling third party software has been used (and 
even occassionally enforced) for a long time, but I actually couldn't 
find it in the Terms or the FAQ. Could somebody write me a nice 
paragraph about it?

Cheers,
    Gerhard