Automatic GPL termination

[Wilson, Andrew]

Chris Travers wrote:

> If I agree to make my work available under the GPL v3 or later, 
> this does not mean that sometime after this, if the FSF adopts a new 
> license with additional requirements on me that I am automatically
bound by them.  
> GPL vX or later does not mean "subject to additional obligations that
the FSF may, 
> from time to time, deem appropriate." 

> In short I don't think there is much disagreement on this point.

I'm afraid you are confused.  Saying you are "not automatically bound by
additional requirements" in later GPLs is a non-sequitur, since you as a
copyright
owner are granting the GPL license, not accepting it.  However, any
downstream
distributee who is in possession of a valid copy where you as licensor
have offered
to grant a license under "GPLvX or later" may in fact choose to accept
that copy under X, X+1, X+2, ... X+n for any valid n
without an additional license from you.

Whether granting a license under "GPLvX or any later" is a wise thing
to do is best left as an exercise to the reader.  ;-)  However, you
certainly
need to be clear on exactly what you are granting when you use this
wording.

Andy Wilson
Intel open source technology center