Subject: Re: [bug#41840] Transmission 3.00

From: Maxim Cournoyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2020 14:18:51 -0400

Hello Leo!

Leo Famulari <[email-masked]> writes:

> These patches update the Transmission bittorrent program to 3.00 and
> also update the helper program tremc so that it keeps working.
>
> I've tested the patches and would push them, but I have a question about
> the license.
>
> Our package has described it as GPL3+, but the COPYING file specifically
> allows GPL2 and GPL3, but there is no "or later" clause. And the source
> file headers match this.
>
> So, I think the license should be a list of GPL2 and GPL3. Is that
> correct?

Their copying file says:

    Transmission can be redistributed and/or modified under the terms of
    the GNU GPLv2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GPLv2),
    the GNU GPLv3 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GNUGPLv3),
    or any future license endorsed by Mnemosyne LLC.

So just based on that file, it looks like GPLv2+ or GPLv3+ could be
used, since they just point to the official license.

The header in source files typically says:

    /*
     * This file Copyright (C) 2007-2014 Mnemosyne LLC
     *
     * It may be used under the GNU GPL versions 2 or 3
     * or any future license endorsed by Mnemosyne LLC.
     *
     */

This tells me (disclaimer: I am not a lawyer) that to use any other
license than GPL version 2 or 3, you'd need the agreement of Mnemosyne
LLC.

I'd say that unless you reach out to them and ask, it's probably safer
to list it as GPL2 and GPL3 only.

My 2 cents.

Maxim