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Yes, but, after the first shot:

* Commit your bugfix / make a patch

* Send your patch to the maintainer of the project

* The maintainer has to look in a central file if you already assigned copyright to the FSF. Since you did, you don't have to do anything.

I'm confused though: Apple already have assigned copyright. Yet, they say they will stop doing it, as if it wasn't automatic, even when done once. Either they assign copyright in an unusual way, or they actively stopped it. Somebody knows which it could be?




Just because Apple has a copyright assignment on file (i.e. saying that they are able to assign copyright to the FSF) does not mean that every piece of code Apple writes--even if it's connected to GCC--is assigned to the FSF.

So Apple can write GCC patches, Apple can release GCC patches, but it does not follow that those patches are assigned. I guess that means they've actively stopped.


Sort of the relationship of Android with the Linux kernel, for me this is the same as publishing a GPLed patch to OpenSSH or something like that, this is immense disrespect towards the developer community of a project, which does have its culture.

FSF has done this as well by changing the license of their software from GPL2/LGPL2 to GPL3/LGPL3 and turning the GameSWF (released under public domain) into the GPLed Gnash.


Are you saying that forks are rude? But they're the point of both Free Software and Open Source!


If I recall correctly, the standard FSF copyright assignment form lets you choose between assigning copyright on a particular set of changes, or for all (present and) future changes.




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