Can GPL software be relicensed -> BSD author?

Question

open source

Hello, suppose there is such a situation.
There is some software under the GPL license.
Now the author/authors want to relicense this software under the BSD license.
The question is: can they do it, and if so, but can the previous (GPL) license affect the commercial use of the new version of this software.

Answer 1

Yes, it is definitely possible, but the consent of all authors is a prerequisite . If there are no problems with this, then please, any versions, including past ones.
As already stated, this will not remove the GPL from previous releases, but will allow them to be used commercially without the "virality" imposed by the GPL.
I've dealt with licensing myself, all the way to face-to-face with gpl-violations.org. (you can google the Atari GPL violation).

Answer 2

Let me add for a proper understanding of the issue. In international practice, the right to demand the execution of a license (in this case, the GPL) belongs to the authors. No one else can bring charges of hiding code under the GPL. This, however, does not prevent third parties from organizing public campaigns to censure violators. The effect of this is no worse. Authors can delegate this right to other persons or organizations such as FSF.
Therefore, the consent of all the official authors of the project is fundamentally important for relicensing the code.
Any of the authors can bring charges of violating the GPL and the court (in civilized countries, ours is not civilized in this regard) will support the accuser.
From this, by the way, follows the need to very carefully draw up the consent of all authors in writing.
It is technically possible to relicense already released code, but this usually does not make any sense. Usually they fork under a separate license.
The best thing, in my opinion, is to create a new project where the authors push their part of the code under the appropriate license. The missing code (if someone refused to give their code under another license) is added on their own ...
In the case of public projects, the number of code authors can be quite large, relicensing can be very problematic. By the way, this explains the reluctance of some commercial companies to accept code from third-party developers in their "open" projects. Apparently they still hope for the commercial prospects of these projects.

Answer 3

chii
Perhaps I misunderstood the BSD license.
From my point of view, it is "more free" than the GPL, as it allows it to be used for commercial purposes without disclosing ALL the source code of the product of which the BSD - Library is a part.
The GPL (excluding the LGPL) requires software distributors/developers to also distribute the entire product under the GPL license.
Those. GPL - has to some extent "infectious" in contrast to BSD.
Therefore, I asked this question in order to clarify whether this "contagiousness" will spread if the authors re-license a new version of the software.

Answer 4

thanks for answers