[rhn_mk1]

> When you have the complete verilog source code for the CPU core

That's a big "when". The road from an ISA to a core is long, and unless the core is copylefted (this isn't), then you aren't going to get the source code for something someone else manufactured either.

[bildung]

Copyleft won't help you there either if the license issuer is also the producer of the physical chip: Licenses are regulating what third parties can do with the source, they don't restrict the issuer.

[keonix]

They do actually restrict issuer in most cases. Linus can't just strip Linux of other developers parts because they are tightly interconnected. He could relicense 30 year old version of Linux, but it would be useless

[bildung]

I just have been more precise and say copyright holder instead of issuer. Linus doesn't hold the copyright for most of the Linux source, hence he can't relicense without explicit oks from the other developers.