Patch file clarification & Co

index c3427ed..1acc2b2 100644
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 1999-2005 by Erik Andersen <[email protected]>
 # Copyright (C) 2006-2014 by the Buildroot developers <[email protected]>
-# Copyright (C) 2014-2015 by the Buildroot developers <[email protected]>
+# Copyright (C) 2014-2016 by the Buildroot developers <[email protected]>
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by

index 0b4604e..cfda5c5 100644
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ If something goes wrong in the steps _3_ or _4_, then the build fails.
 
 === Format and licensing of the package patches
 
-Patches are released under the same license as the software that is
-modified.
+Patches are released under the same license as the software that they
+modify.
 
 A message explaining what the patch does, and why it is needed, should
 be added in the header commentary of the patch.

index d511905..8f2ba0b 100644
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+Except for the below exception, Buildroot is licensed under the GNU
+General Public License, version 2, whose text is reported below.
+
+Exception:
+
+- Patches provided by Buildroot for packages are released under the
+  same license as the software that they modify.
+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------
+
 		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
 		       Version 2, June 1991
 

index 5895224..e82f8a7 100644
@@ -131,11 +131,13 @@ Buildroot, with the name used in the manifest files:
   http://apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html[
   Apache License, version 2.0];
 
+[[legal-info-buildroot]]
 === Complying with the Buildroot license
 
 Buildroot itself is an open source software, released under the
-http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU General Public
-License, version 2] or (at your option) any later version.
+http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU General
+Public License, version 2] or (at your option) any later version, with
+the exception of the package patches detailed below.
 However, being a build system, it is not normally part of the end product:
 if you develop the root filesystem, kernel, bootloader or toolchain for a
 device, the code of Buildroot is only present on the development machine, not

@@ -156,3 +158,13 @@ material that must be redistributed.
 
 Keep in mind that this is only the Buildroot developers' opinion, and you
 should consult your legal department or lawyer in case of any doubt.
+
+==== Patches to packages
+
+Buildroot is bundled with a set of patches that it applies to packages
+to fix cross-compilation or other issues. See xref:patch-policy[] for
+the technical details.
+
+These patches are effectively a derived work of the upstream package,
+and they are released under the same license as the software that they
+modify. They are not distributed under the Buildroot license.

index cfda5c5..135b23f 100644
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ If something goes wrong in the steps _3_ or _4_, then the build fails.
 === Format and licensing of the package patches
 
 Patches are released under the same license as the software that they
-modify.
+modify (see xref:legal-info-buildroot[]).
 
 A message explaining what the patch does, and why it is needed, should
 be added in the header commentary of the patch.

index 0b5aa66..316f799 100644
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ This material is composed of the following items.
    sources/ subdirectory (except for the non-redistributable packages, which
    have not been saved). Patches that were applied are also saved, along
    with a file named 'series' that lists the patches in the order they were
-   applied.
+   applied. Patches are under the same license as the original package.
  * A manifest file listing the configured packages and related information.
  * The license text of the packages; they have been saved in the licenses/
    subdirectory.