Open AccessDoes GPLv2 Include an ‘Installation Information’ Obligation? A Textual & Historical Analysis
Author(s) -
McCoy Smith
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the journal of open law, technology and society/the journal of open law, technology and society (print)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2666-8106
pISSN - 2666-8092
DOI - 10.5033/jolts.v12i1.160
Subject(s) - license , obligation , computer science , computer security , law , political science , operating system
One of the features included in version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPLv3) was a requirement, in certain circumstances, to provide ‘Installation Information.’ This was a new addition to the licence to address a ‘loophole’ that existed in version 2 of the licence (GPLv2); a loophole that was perceived as being exploited, at the time, by certain device vendors. Recently, it has been asserted that this requirement was inherent, or explicitly called for, in GPLv2. This paper examines the historical record around the time that the ‘Installation Information’ requirement was proposed, and eventually ratified, in GPLv3, to show that this requirement was understood to be both new, and not a part of GPLv2. A textual analysis of GPLv2 yields an identical result.