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Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 23:52:02 -0200 (BRST)
From: Rik van Riel <riel@conectiva.com.br>
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To: Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com>
cc: Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: spinlocks, the GPL, and binary-only modules
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On Tue, 19 Nov 2002, Jeff Garzik wrote:

> So, since spinlocks and semaphores are (a) inline and #included into
> your code, and (b) required for just about sane interoperation with Linux...
>
> does this mean that all binary-only modules that #include kernel code
> such as spinlocks are violating the GPL?

> But who knows if #include'd code constitutes a derived work :(

Only if the #included snippets of code are large enough to be
protected by copyright, which might be true of the stuff in
mm_inline.h and of some of the semaphore code, but probably
isn't true of the spinlock code.

Even if the code #included is large enough to be protected by
copyright I don't know if the code including it would be considered
a derived work. Many questions remaining...

regards,

Rik
-- 
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