|| On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 13:28:16 +0200 (MET DST) || Joerg Schilling schilling@fokus.gmd.de wrote:
js> If your stapement was true, then FSF would have no need to insist js> in the copyright assignement.
The FSF does not insist on the copyright assignment (several GNU Projects do not have their copyright assigned to the FSF), although it is strongly recommended for two major reasons:
1. Only if the FSF has the copyright assigned it can go and defend GNU software in court for you: only the copyright-holder can go to court.
2. The "or any later version" clause is not possible in many countries (including most European ones). Therefore only the copyright holder can release software under an updated (L)GPL.
Otherwise software might simply lose its legal protection without the FSF being able to restore it when a license problem arises.
A copyright assignment to the FSF increases the security of Free Software for everyone. It isn't required but strongly recommended.
Regards, Georg