some licensors have continued to prefer GPLv2-only or GPLv2-or-later as their

preferred license.  GPLv3 has gained major adoption by many projects, old and

new, but many projects have not upgraded due to (in some cases) mere laziness

and (in other cases) policy preference for some of GPLv2's terms.

Given this ``two GPLs'' world is the one we all live in, it makes sense to

consider GPLv3 in terms of how it differs from GPLv2.  Also, most of the best

GPL experts in the world must deal regularly with both licenses, and

admittedly have decades of experience of GPLv2 while the most experience with

GPLv3 that's possible is by default less than a decade.

These two factors usually cause even new students of GPL to start with GPLv2

and move on to GPLv3, and this tutorial follows that pattern.

Overall, the changes made in GPLv3 admittedly \textit{increased} the

complexity of the license.  The FSF stated at the start of the GPLv3 process

that they would have liked to oblige those who have asked for a simpler and

shorter GPL\@.  Ultimately, the FSF gave priority to making GPLv3 do the job

that needs to be done to build a better copyleft.  Obsession for concision

should never trump software freedom.

\section{GPLv3~\S0: Giving In On ``Defined Terms''}

One of lawyers' most common complaints about GPLv2 is that defined terms in

the document appear throughout.  Most licenses define terms up-front.

However, GPL was always designed both as a document that should be easily

understood both by lawyers and by software developers: it is a document

designed to give freedom to software developers and users, and therefore it

should be comprehensible to that constituency.

Interestingly enough, one coauthor of this tutorial who is both a lawyer and

a developer pointed out that in law school, she understood defined terms more

quickly than other law students precisely because of her programming

background.  For developers, having \verb0#define0 (in the C programming

language) or other types of constants and/or macros that automatically expand

in the place where they are used is second nature.  As such, adding a defined

terms section was not terribly problematic for developers, and thus GPLv3

adds one.  Most of these defined terms are somewhat straightforward and bring

forward better worded definitions from GPLv2.  Herein, this tutorial

discusses a few of the new ones.

GPLv3~\S0 includes definitions of four new terms not found in any form in

GPLv2: ``covered work'', ``propagate'', ``convey'', and ``Appropriate Legal

Notices''.

While ``covered by this license'' is a phrase found in GPLv2, defining it

more complete in a single as ``covered work'' enables some of the wording in

GPLv3 to be simpler and clearer than its GPLv2 counterparts.

% FIXME: does propagate  definition still work the same way in final draft?

The term ``propagate'' serves two purposes.  First, ``propagate'' provides a

simple and convenient means for distinguishing between the kinds of uses of a

work that the GPL imposes conditions on and the kinds of uses that the GPL

does not (for the most part) impose conditions on.

Second, ``propagate'' furthers our goal of making the license as global as

possible in its wording and effect.  When a work is licensed under the GPL,

the copyright law of some particular country will govern certain legal issues

arising under the license.  A term like ``distribute'' or its equivalent in

languages other than English, is used in several national copyright statutes.

The scope of ``distribution'' in the copyright context can differ from

country to country.  The GPL does not seek to necessarily use the specific

meaning of ``distribution'' that exists under United States copyright law or

any other country's copyright law.

Therefore, the GPL defines the term ``propagate'' by reference to activities

that require permission under ``applicable copyright law'', but excludes

execution and private modification from the definition.  GPLv3's definition

also gives examples of activities that may be included within ``propagation''

but it also makes clear that, under the copyright laws of a given country,

``propagation'' may include other activities as well.

% FIXME: paragraph number change , and more on Convey once definition comes.

The third paragraph of section 2 represents another effort to compensate for

variation in national copyright law.  We distinguish between propagation that

enables parties other than the licensee to make or receive copies, and other

forms of propagation.  As noted above, the meaning of ``distribution'' under

copyright law varies from country to country, including with respect to

whether making copies available to other parties (such as related public or

corporate entities) is ``distribution.'' ``Propagation,'' however, is a term

not tied to any statutory language.  Propagation that does not enable other

parties to make or receive copies --- for example, making private copies or

privately viewing the program --- is permitted unconditionally.  Propagation

that does enable other parties to make or receive copies is permitted as

``distribution,'' subject to the conditions set forth in sections 4--6.

% FIXME: Appropriate Legal Notices

\section{GPLv3~\S1: Understanding CCS}

% FIXME: Talk briefly about importance of CCS and reference compliance guide

% FIXME: reword source code a bit

% FIXME: CCS Coresponding Source updated to newer definition in later drafts

Keeping with the desire to ``round up'' definitions that were spread

throughout the text of GPLv2, the definition of CCS\footnote{Note that the

  preferred term by those who work with both GPLv2 and GPLv3 is ``Complete

  Corresponding Source'', abbreviated to ``CCS''.  Admittedly, the word

  ``complete'' no longer appears in GPLv3 (which uses the word ``all''

  instead).  However, both GPLv2 and the early drafts of GPLv3 itself used

  the word complete, and early GPLv3 drafts even included the phrase

  ``Complete Corresponding Source''.  Meanwhile, use of the acronym ``CCS''

  (sometimes, ``C&CS'') was so widespread among GPL enforcers that its use

  continues even though GPLv3-focused experts tend to say just the defined

  term of ``Corresponding Source''.}, or, as GPLv3 officially calls it,

``Corresponding Source'', is given in GPLv3~\S1\P4.  This definition is as

broad as necessary to protect users' exercise of their rights under the

GPL. We follow the definition with particular examples to remove any doubt

that they are to be considered Complete Corresponding Source Code. We wish to

make completely clear that a licensee cannot avoid complying with the

requirements of the GPL by dynamically linking an add-on component to the

original version of a program.

Though the definition of Complete Corresponding Source Code in the

second paragraph of section 1 is expansive, it is not sufficient to

protect users' freedoms in many circumstances.  For example, a GPL'd

program, or a modified version of such a program, might need to be

signed with a key or authorized with a code in order for it to run on

a particular machine and function properly. Similarly, a program that

produces digitally-restricted files might require a decryption code in

order to read the output.  

% FIXME: Standard Interface

% FIXME: System Libraries: it's in a different place and changed in later drafts

The final paragraph of section 1 revises the exception to the source code

distribution requirement in GPLv2 that we have sometimes called the system

library exception. This exception has been read to prohibit certain

distribution arrangements that we consider reasonable and have not sought to

prevent, such as distribution of gcc linked with a non-free C library that is

included as part of a larger non-free system. This is not to say that such

non-free libraries are legitimate; rather, preventing free software from

linking with these libraries would hurt free software more than it would hurt

proprietary software.

As revised, the exception has two parts. Part (a) rewords the GPLv2

exception for clarity but also removes the words ``unless that

component itself accompanies the executable.''  By itself, (a) would

be too permissive, allowing distributors to evade their

responsibilities under the GPL.  We have therefore added part (b) to

specify when a system library that is an adjunct of a major essential

operating system component, compiler, or interpreter does not trigger

the requirement to distribute source code.  The more low-level the

functionality provided by the library, the more likely it is to be

qualified for this exception.

\section{GPLv3~\S2: Basic Permissions}

% FIXME: phrase ``unmodified Program'' appears due to User Products exception

We have included the first sentence of section 2 to further internationalize

the GPL. Under the copyright laws of some countries, it may be necessary for

a copyright license to include an explicit provision setting forth the

duration of the rights being granted. In other countries, including the

United States, such a provision is unnecessary but permissible.

The first paragraph of section 2 also acknowledges that licensees under the

GPL enjoy rights of copyright fair use, or the equivalent under applicable

law. These rights are compatible with, and not in conflict with, the freedoms

that the GPL seeks to protect, and the GPL cannot and should not restrict

them.

% FIXME: propagate and convey

Section 2 distinguishes between activities of a licensee that are permitted

without limitation and activities that trigger additional requirements. The

second paragraph of section 2 guarantees the basic freedoms of privately

modifying and running the program. However, the right to privately modify and

run the program is terminated if the licensee brings a patent infringement

lawsuit against anyone for activities relating to a work based on the

program.

\section{GPLv3~\S3: What Hath DMCA Wrought}

\label{GPLv3s3}

% FIXME: reference the section in DMCA about this, maybe already there in

%        GPLv2 section?

% FIXME: Wrong paragraph now.

The second paragraph of section 3 declares that no GPL'd program is part of

an effective technological protection measure, regardless of what the program

does. Ill-advised legislation in the United States and other countries has

prohibited circumvention of such technological measures. If a covered work is

distributed as part of a system for generating or accessing certain data, the