Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1752649Ab2KIK6i (ORCPT ); Fri, 9 Nov 2012 05:58:38 -0500 Received: from lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk ([81.2.110.251]:45590 "EHLO lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752533Ab2KIK6d (ORCPT ); Fri, 9 Nov 2012 05:58:33 -0500 Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 11:03:36 +0000 From: Alan Cox To: nab@risingtidesystems.com Cc: Andy Grover , Chris Friesen , Jon Mason , target-devel , linux-scsi , linux-kernel , Marc Fleischmann Subject: Re: scsi target, likely GPL violation Message-ID: <20121109110336.41833034@pyramind.ukuu.org.uk> In-Reply-To: <1352426896.29589.512.camel@haakon2.linux-iscsi.org> References: <509A915B.30105@redhat.com> <509B117A.6070708@genband.com> <509BE460.6010404@redhat.com> <1352405111.29589.476.camel@haakon2.linux-iscsi.org> <509C22B2.8010600@redhat.com> <1352426896.29589.512.camel@haakon2.linux-iscsi.org> X-Mailer: Claws Mail 3.8.1 (GTK+ 2.24.8; x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu) Face: iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAADAAAAAwBAMAAAClLOS0AAAAFVBMVEWysKsSBQMIAwIZCwj///8wIhxoRDXH9QHCAAABeUlEQVQ4jaXTvW7DIBAAYCQTzz2hdq+rdg494ZmBeE5KYHZjm/d/hJ6NfzBJpp5kRb5PHJwvMPMk2L9As5Y9AmYRBL+HAyJKeOU5aHRhsAAvORQ+UEgAvgddj/lwAXndw2laEDqA4x6KEBhjYRCg9tBFCOuJFxg2OKegbWjbsRTk8PPhKPD7HcRxB7cqhgBRp9Dcqs+B8v4CQvFdqeot3Kov6hBUn0AJitrzY+sgUuiA8i0r7+B3AfqKcN6t8M6HtqQ+AOoELCikgQSbgabKaJW3kn5lBs47JSGDhhLKDUh1UMipwwinMYPTBuIBjEclSaGZUk9hDlTb5sUTYN2SFFQuPe4Gox1X0FZOufjgBiV1Vls7b+GvK3SU4wfmcGo9rPPQzgIabfj4TYQo15k3bTHX9RIw/kniir5YbtJF4jkFG+dsDK1IgE413zAthU/vR2HVMmFUPIHTvF6jWCpFaGw/A3qWgnbxpSm9MSmY5b3pM1gvNc/gQfwBsGwF0VCtxZgAAAAASUVORK5CYII= Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1769 Lines: 39 > For our commercial target core, we only use Linux kernel symbols that > are not marked as GPL. In addition, we define the API between the target And this has what meaning ? The Linux kernel is a GPL work, any derivative work is a GPL work. The symbol tags are just a guidance. You do not have permission to build a non GPL derivative work of any code I own. The licensing determination is *derivative work* not symbols marked with _GPL. This has been stated publically by many developers many times. So either your work is truely not derivative of the kernel (which I find wildly improbable) or you have a problem and since you are aware of the complaints publically I guess probably a triple damages sized problem. But that's one for your lawyers and whatever opinion they have on the subject. You do btw have a second thing to consider - there are US patent grants for some functions in the kernel that only extend to GPL code so utilising some of the subsystems in the USA may give you other problems even if you can somehow manage to demonstrate your work is not derivative. > RTS OS is based on a stock Linux enterprise kernel. This Linux kernel > has naturally the ability to load either one of our standalone > self-contained target module versions without any modifications. That's not the usual test for derivative work I've heard applied. I fail to understand the maintainer question however. If you were trying to block people adding target features that competed that would be a different thing. Alan -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/