Documentation/process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst
.. _process_statement_kernel:
As developers of the Linux kernel, we have a keen interest in how our software is used and how the license for our software is enforced. Compliance with the reciprocal sharing obligations of GPL-2.0 is critical to the long-term sustainability of our software and community.
Although there is a right to enforce the separate copyright interests in the contributions made to our community, we share an interest in ensuring that individual enforcement actions are conducted in a manner that benefits our community and do not have an unintended negative impact on the health and growth of our software ecosystem. In order to deter unhelpful enforcement actions, we agree that it is in the best interests of our development community to undertake the following commitment to users of the Linux kernel on behalf of ourselves and any successors to our copyright interests:
Notwithstanding the termination provisions of the GPL-2.0, we agree that
it is in the best interests of our development community to adopt the
following provisions of GPL-3.0 as additional permissions under our
license with respect to any non-defensive assertion of rights under the
license.
However, if you cease all violation of this License, then your license
from a particular copyright holder is reinstated (a) provisionally,
unless and until the copyright holder explicitly and finally
terminates your license, and (b) permanently, if the copyright holder
fails to notify you of the violation by some reasonable means prior to
60 days after the cessation.
Moreover, your license from a particular copyright holder is
reinstated permanently if the copyright holder notifies you of the
violation by some reasonable means, this is the first time you have
received notice of violation of this License (for any work) from that
copyright holder, and you cure the violation prior to 30 days after
your receipt of the notice.
Our intent in providing these assurances is to encourage more use of the software. We want companies and individuals to use, modify and distribute this software. We want to work with users in an open and transparent way to eliminate any uncertainty about our expectations regarding compliance or enforcement that might limit adoption of our software. We view legal action as a last resort, to be initiated only when other community efforts have failed to resolve the problem.
Finally, once a non-compliance issue is resolved, we hope the user will feel welcome to join us in our efforts on this project. Working together, we will be stronger.
Except where noted below, we speak only for ourselves, and not for any company we might work for today, have in the past, or will in the future.