[Privoxy-devel] Outdated autoconf files

[Fabian Keil]

Lee <ler762 at gmail.com> wrote on 2020-12-12:

> On 12/12/20, Fabian Keil <fk at fabiankeil.de> wrote:
> > Fabian Keil <fk at fabiankeil.de> wrote on 2016-04-28:
> >
> >> Lee <ler762 at gmail.com> wrote:
 
> >> > http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=autoconf.git;a=blob_plain;f=build-aux/config.guess;hb=refs/heads/master
> >> >
> >> > http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=autoconf.git;a=blob_plain;f=build-aux/config.sub;hb=refs/heads/master
> >>
> >> We're currently using the last revisions that were licensed under
> >> GPLv2 or later. The current versions are licensed under GPLv3 or
> >> later and while there is an exception, it does not apply to Privoxy
> >> (according to my interpretation) because we don't ship files generated
> >> by autoconf.
> >>
> >> Hopefully that's just an oversight.
> >>
> >> I've contacted the FSF to ask if they can change the wording of the
> >> exception so it covers Privoxy as well.
> >
> > Four years later the issue still exists so I've send the FSF
> > another message and received another auto-reply ...
> 
> *sigh*  Maybe the non-response _is_ the answer and they just don't
> want to say "NO"
> 
> But is licensing still a problem?  The Privoxy license is now GPL v2
> **or later**, so wouldn't it be OK to use GPLv3 software with Privoxy?

If we add GPLv3-only software to the repository or source tarball
we can no longer claim that the GPLv2-or-later applies to the
software mix as a whole.

Effectively the license-requiring user would be bound by the GPLv3
terms (at least for those parts that aren't still GPLv2-or-later
and haven't been "tainted" by the GPLv3).

Whether or not that is acceptable is a matter of opinion.

Personally I prefer not to effectively relicense Privoxy to GPLv3
and thus am opposed to adding GPLv3-only software if we can avoid
it.

Fabian
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