FYI, Free Software Foundation has always required contributors to GNU projects to assign copyright to FSF. Back in the day, you needed to send it via snail mail, but now AFAIK, FSF sends the package to you which you have to sign and return (via snailmail).
Cite -
http://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/html_node/Legal-Matters.htm...
http://www.dreamsongs.com/IHE/IHE-110.html