[PATCH] Documentation: Add a file explaining the Linux kernel license

[Greg KH]

From: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

This adds a short document describing the views of how the Linux kernel
community feels about enforcing the license of the kernel.

Acked-by: Al Viro <viro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Alex Elder (Linaro) <elder@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Andrea Arcangeli <aarcange@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Andy Gross <andy.gross@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Aneesh Kumar K.V <aneesh.kumar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Anna Schumaker <schumaker.anna@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Arvind Yadav <arvind.yadav.cs@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Bart Van Assche <bart.vanassche@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Bhumika Goyal <bhumirks@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Bjorn Andersson <bjorn.andersson@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Borislav Petkov <bp@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Christian Borntraeger <borntraeger@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Christian KÃnig <christian.koenig@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Christophe JAILLET <christophe.jaillet@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Chuck Lever <chuck.lever@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Colin Ian King <colin.king@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Daniel Borkmann <daniel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Daniel Lezcano <daniel.lezcano@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Daniel Vetter <daniel.vetter@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Darrick J. Wong (Oracle) <darrick.wong@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Darrick J. Wong <djwong@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: David Kershner <david.kershner@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: David S. Miller <davem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Dmitry Torokhov <dmitry.torokhov@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Doug Ledford <dledford@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Fabio Estevam <festevam@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Felipe Balbi <balbi@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Florian Westphal <fw@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Guenter Roeck <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Hannes Reinecke <hare@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Hans de Goede <hdegoede@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Heiko Carstens <heiko.carstens@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Heiko Stuebner <heiko@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Heiner Kallweit <hkallweit1@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Ivan Safonov <insafonov@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jaegeuk Kim <jaegeuk@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jan Kara (SUSE) <jack@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Javier Martinez Canillas <javier@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jeff Kirsher <jeffrey.t.kirsher@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jens Axboe <axboe@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jes Sorensen <Jes.Sorensen@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jiri Kosina <jkosina@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Jiri Pirko <jiri@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Joe Perches <joe@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Joerg Roedel (SUSE) <jroedel@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Johan Hovold <johan@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Juergen Gross <jgross@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Julia Lawall <Julia.Lawall@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: K. Y. Srinivasan <kys@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Khalid Aziz <khalid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Kuninori Morimoto <kuninori.morimoto.gx@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Larry Finger <Larry.Finger@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Laura Abbott <laura@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Lee Jones <lee.jones@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Leon Romanovsky <leon@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Linus Walleij (Linaro) <linus.walleij@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Lv Zheng <zetalog@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Martin K. Petersen (Oracle) <martin.petersen@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Masahiro Yamada <yamada.masahiro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Mel Gorman <mgorman@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Michal Hocko <mhocko@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Mike Marshall <hubcap@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Namhyung Kim <namhyung@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Neil Armstrong <narmstrong@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Olof Johansson <olof@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Pablo Neira Ayuso <pablo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Paul Burton <paul.burton@xxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Rafael J. Wysocki <rafael@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Ralf Baechle <ralf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Richard Weinberger <richard@xxxxxx>
Acked-by: Rik van Riel <riel@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Rob Clark <robdclark@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Rob Herring <robh@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Sebastian Reichel (Collabora) <sre@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Shawn Guo <shawnguo@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Shuah Khan <shuahkh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Simon Horman <horms@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Srinivas Kandagatla <srinivas.kandagatla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Steven Rostedt (VMware) <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Sven Eckelmann <sven@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Takashi Iwai (SUSE) <tiwai@xxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Thierry Reding <thierry.reding@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Tony Luck <tony.luck@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Ulf Hansson <ulf.hansson@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Vinod Koul <vkoul@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Viresh Kumar <viresh.kumar@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Vivien Didelot <vivien.didelot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Wei Yongjun <weiyongjun1@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Xin Long <lucien.xin@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
 Documentation/process/index.rst                    |   1 +
 .../process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst       | 147 +++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 148 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/process/index.rst b/Documentation/process/index.rst
index 82fc399fcd33..61e43cc3ed17 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/index.rst
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Below are the essential guides that every developer should read.
    submitting-patches
    coding-style
    email-clients
+   kernel-enforcement-statement
 
 Other guides to the community that are of interest to most developers are: 
 
diff --git a/Documentation/process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst b/Documentation/process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1e23d4227337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/process/kernel-enforcement-statement.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+ïLinux Kernel Enforcement Statement
+----------------------------------
+
+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.
+
+  - Bjorn Andersson (Linaro)
+  - Andrea Arcangeli (Red Hat)
+  - Neil Armstrong
+  - Jens Axboe
+  - Pablo Neira Ayuso
+  - Khalid Aziz
+  - Ralf Baechle
+  - Felipe Balbi
+  - Arnd Bergmann
+  - Ard Biesheuvel
+  - Paolo Bonzini (Red Hat)
+  - Christian Borntraeger
+  - Mark Brown (Linaro)
+  - Paul Burton
+  - Javier Martinez Canillas
+  - Rob Clark
+  - Jonathan Corbet
+  - Vivien Didelot (Savoir-faire Linux)
+  - Hans de Goede (Red Hat)
+  - Mel Gorman (SUSE)
+  - Sven Eckelmann
+  - Alex Elder (Linaro)
+  - Fabio Estevam
+  - Larry Finger
+  - Bhumika Goyal
+  - Andy Gross
+  - Juergen Gross
+  - Shawn Guo
+  - Ulf Hansson
+  - Tejun Heo
+  - Rob Herring
+  - Masami Hiramatsu
+  - Michal Hocko
+  - Simon Horman
+  - Johan Hovold (Hovold Consulting AB)
+  - Christophe JAILLET
+  - Olof Johansson
+  - Lee Jones (Linaro)
+  - Heiner Kallweit
+  - Srinivas Kandagatla
+  - Jan Kara
+  - Shuah Khan (Samsung)
+  - David Kershner
+  - Jaegeuk Kim
+  - Namhyung Kim
+  - Colin Ian King
+  - Jeff Kirsher
+  - Greg Kroah-Hartman (Linux Foundation)
+  - Christian KÃnig
+  - Vinod Koul
+  - Krzysztof Kozlowski
+  - Viresh Kumar
+  - Aneesh Kumar K.V
+  - Julia Lawall
+  - Doug Ledford (Red Hat)
+  - Chuck Lever (Oracle)
+  - Daniel Lezcano
+  - Shaohua Li
+  - Xin Long (Red Hat)
+  - Tony Luck
+  - Mike Marshall
+  - Chris Mason
+  - Paul E. McKenney
+  - David S. Miller
+  - Ingo Molnar
+  - Kuninori Morimoto
+  - Borislav Petkov
+  - Jiri Pirko
+  - Josh Poimboeuf
+  - Sebastian Reichel (Collabora)
+  - Guenter Roeck
+  - Joerg Roedel
+  - Leon Romanovsky
+  - Steven Rostedt (VMware)
+  - Ivan Safonov
+  - Ivan Safonov
+  - Anna Schumaker
+  - Jes Sorensen
+  - K.Y. Srinivasan
+  - Heiko Stuebner
+  - Jiri Kosina (SUSE)
+  - Dmitry Torokhov
+  - Linus Torvalds
+  - Thierry Reding
+  - Rik van Riel
+  - Geert Uytterhoeven (Glider bvba)
+  - Daniel Vetter
+  - Linus Walleij
+  - Richard Weinberger
+  - Dan Williams
+  - Rafael J. Wysocki
+  - Arvind Yadav
+  - Masahiro Yamada
+  - Wei Yongjun
+  - Lv Zheng
-- 
2.14.2