When does a file need a license header? (was: Change in coreboot[master]: uio_usbdebug: User-space-i/o framework for usbdebug)

[Paul Menzel]

Dear coreboot folks,

Am Donnerstag, den 16.01.2014, 15:56 +0100 schrieb gerrit code review:

[…]
> Change subject: uio_usbdebug: User-space-i/o framework for usbdebug
> ......................................................................
>
> Patch Set 1:

[…]
> http://review.coreboot.org/#/c/4695/1/util/uio_usbdebug/device/device_util.c
> File util/uio_usbdebug/device/device_util.c:
>
> Line 1:
> > No header?
>
> No code?
>
> http://review.coreboot.org/#/c/4695/1/util/uio_usbdebug/device/pci_device.c
> File util/uio_usbdebug/device/pci_device.c:
>
> Line 1:
> > No header?
>
> No code?

I always thought every manually created file in the repository should
have license (header). I think that such a rule is not necessarily
required but I am not a lawyer. The GPL notes [1] advise to do, but as
written it seems not to be legally necessary [2].

So could you (Ron, Stefan?) please clarify what to do in coreboot’s
case?

Thanks,

Paul

[1] http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3051651/open-source-licence-header-on-eac...