What does copyright have to do with computer code?

Computer code is covered by copyright, much like books or movies or photographs. With few exceptions, unless authorized by the copyright holder of a work, only a copyright holder is legally allowed to make copies or create derivative works of the code. While proprietary developers use these rights in order to restrict and harm users, free software developers can turn this law to our advantage using copyleft, to ensure that every user can control their own computing.

What is copyright assignment?

A copyright assignment is a legal document transferring the copyright for a particular work. It does not change who the author of the work is, it merely shifts who has the legal right to do activities like make copies of the work, prepare derivatives of the work, and give others permission to do the same. Importantly, the copyright holder has power to enforce these rights, by going to court and preventing others from violating the license on the work.

Why assign?

We encourage the use of any legal mechanism available to users for obtaining complete and corresponding source code, as is their right under the GNU GPL. At the same time, assignment puts us in the best position to be able to ensure that contributions always remain free, because enforcement by copyright holders is a universal, straightforward, and powerful tool. It also allows us to grant additional permissions on a package, such as an exception, if the need should arise. Several GNU Project packages already have such additional permissions in place, and holding the copyright on the packages enabled us to update those exceptions when the package upgraded to GPLv3. Additionally, holding the copyright allows us to upgrade the license of a package even if it had been initially released under "GPLv2-only" (instead of the "-or-later" licensing option as recommended by the FSF). Finally, like other forms of contribution agreements, assignment grants us the basic permission to share the work with others under a free license.

Why do I need an employer disclaimer?

When you're employed to do programming, your employer can have very broad claims to code that you write. These claims can even extend to code you may write in your free time, and may cover any patentable inventions, as well as the copyright on the code itself. We require a disclaimer that ensures that your employer won't sue us or other users over the contributions that you make. A lawsuit or legal pressure would be a disaster for any project, especially if the code has been incorporated into the project and distributed around the world.

Why do I need a university disclaimer?

If you are a student, universities can claim your work! Even if the work is not directly related to your studies, a university can make such a claim. Unfortunately, some universities are overly eager to capitalize on the work of their students, so we must be extra careful. The best way to avoid any problems and keep the GNU Project legally sound is to have your university sign a disclaimer, like we do with employers as explained above.

How do I begin the copyright assignment process?

Simply email assign@fsf.org, say hello, and let us know you are interested in contributing to GNU.