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Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 17:39:36 +0200 (CEST)
From: Alexandre Dulaunoy <alex@conostix.com>
X-X-Sender: adulau-conos@gilmore.ael.be
To: Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com>
Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>, "David S. Miller" <davem@redhat.com>,
       Linus Torvalds <torvalds@transmeta.com>,
       Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>, <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: New BK License Problem?
In-Reply-To: <20021006081514.J9032@work.bitmover.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0210061723190.19296-100000@gilmore.ael.be>
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On Sun, 6 Oct 2002, Larry McVoy wrote:

> On Sun, Oct 06, 2002 at 05:22:33PM +0200, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > in no way - but it would be a (small) incentive for them to open-source
> > their kernel mods. Which would also enable you to use the technology. Ie.  
> > potentially good for you.
> 
> We're not interested in ClearCase technology, no company makes advances by
> trying to chase the leader.  You lead by leading, not catching up.
> 

You cut off this part from Ingo Molnar :

> so BK cannot be used to access the kernel tree in that case, correct? 
> I'm just wondering where the boundary line is. Eg.  if i started
> working on a versioned filesystem today, i'd not be allowed to use
> BK. I just have to keep stuff like that in mind when using BK. 

Is it  true ? The legal  issue around is quite  difficult to calculate
and generate a classical problem of exclusion around the four freedoms
of Free Software. (and so the GNU General Public License)

In  that case,  your proprietary  software cannot  be used  to produce
Free Software  licensed under the  GNU General Public License.   As in
#6: "You  may not impose  any further restrictions on  the recipients'
exercise of the rights granted herein." 

If  the  case  explained  by  Ingo  Molnar,  you  are  adding  further
restrictions. (in the case of  the Linux Kernel, they are contributors
(so  also  recipients  of  the  rights  of the  GNU  GPL)  using  your
proprietary software  license to produce Free  Software licensed under
GNU GPL)

If this is correct, this is an important issue. 

Maybe we should forward the issue to the FSF for clarification ? 

Thanks. 

adulau



-- 
						    Alexandre Dulaunoy 
  3B12 DCC2 82FA 2931 2F5B 709A 09E2 CD49 44E6 CBCD  ---   AD993-6BONE
"People who fight may lose.People who do not fight have already lost."
							Bertolt Brecht




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