Comment by rpdillon | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rpdillon | Hacker News Reader

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The original source code will of course remain available under GPLv2. For the modified version, it can absolutely be modified and distributed under a later version of the license because that's exactly what the license says.

I'll edit out some distracting words and see if that helps clarify:

> you can redistribute...and...modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License...either version 2...or...any later version.

So this means I can redistribute and modify it under the terms of GPLv3, which is exactly what this project does.

Some people do have a problem with this, as you seem to, and that's the reason very notable projects, like the Linux kernel, often edit out the part of the license that allows you to distribute it under later versions, and instead mandate GPLv2, even for derivative works.

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/lin...

In the README.txt distributed with the release it says:

> Licensed under the GNU General Public License 2.0.

Which is the only text that puts it under the GPL at all. There is no later version mentioned.

https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM/blob/master/README.TXT

Regardless, you can't change the license on code you don't own, even if the code is distributed under a flexible license.

Don't read the readme to figure out what the license says. Read the license: the readme only tells you what license. It doesn't tell you the terms of that license.

The actual license used explicitly allows later versions of the GPL to be specified in place of GPLv2.

https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM/blob/master/LICENSE.TXT

> Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that version or of any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation.

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