License and adopting software

[blubee blubeeme]

On Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 12:21 PM, Jonathan Chen <jonc at chen.org.nz> wrote:

> On 11 December 2017 at 17:17, blubee blubeeme <gurenchan at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I like some old software that's <= GPL2 but it seems like the original
> > developer is not and have not done any work on the software sine mid
> 2000.
> >
> > I'd like to pick up the project, fix bugs BUT i'd like to migrate from
> GPL
> > to BSD license.
> >
> > How does one go about doing that? I have seen the GPL code but it could
> be
> > re-written how would that affect me re-writing the code with a new copy
> > center license?
>
> You basically have to get the original author to reassign copyright to
> you; after which you can do whatever you like to it. If you're basing
> your new work on the original work, you have to respect the LICENCE
> that it came with.
> --
> Jonathan Chen <jonc at chen.org.nz>
>
There has been no update since 2005 and I've tried many times this year to
get in touch w/ the original author. There has been no response, that's why
I am asking here.