[gNewSense-users] Linus' statement about copyright

[Matthew J. Fisher]

Here's a statement which Linus Torvalds prefixed to the GPLv2 in the
COPYING file:

"note that the GPL below is copyrighted by the Free Software
 Foundation, but the instance of code that it refers to (the Linux
 kernel) is copyrighted by me and others who actually wrote it."

Note that he refers to the kernel as a single instance of code. Also,
if I understand correctly, the GPLv2 is a work-level license, rather
than a file-based license.

This implies that any kernel files, in which Linus and other authors
assert copyright without specifying a license, really are covered under
the GPLv2 as stated in the COPYING file. Anything else would be
illogical.

Also, at Sam mentioned a few weeks ago, copyright always applies --
whether or not it is asserted. So this is not much of a special case.

Still, people ARE sometimes illogical. It wouldn't hurt to document
these buglets, and let RMS see if he can obtain confirmation that the
files are free.