Subject: Re: Honest does not pay here...
From: Steven Barnhart <sbarn03@softhome.net>
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Date: 05 Jan 2003 20:05:52 -0500
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On Mon, 06 Jan 2003 13:01:41 +1300, Andrew McGregor wrote:
> I've had some discussion with an ex-NVidia guy who was there while
they 
> were doing the driver release.
> 
> They wanted to dual GPL/BSD license the kernel part in the first
place, 
> then they realised they had a problem.  They don't own the copyright
on all 
> that code themselves, nor do they have the right to redistribute specs
for 
> all of the hardware without NDA, because it consists in part of
purchased 
> 'IP blocks' (as hardware people call libraries).  So in the end
they've 
> opened up as far as they were allowed by preexisting constraints.
> 
> Remember, the hardware was not constructed with an open source driver
in 
> mind.  It's fairly easy to build hardware which can have open source 
> drivers (you choose your IP block vendors carefully), but NVidia did
not do 
> that in the first place, and now they are stuck.
> 
> So your belief about hardware is just plain false, unfortunately. 
You're 
> free not to buy their hardware, but I don't think you are being fair
to dis 
> them when they appear to have gotten the point of open source but been
> stymied by other vendors.  NVidia do try hard to give you the right to
use 
> their stuff with Linux, but there is only so far they can go.
> 
> I expect if Linux makes them enough money, they might buy the rights
they 
> don't have, and release the driver in full.  But don't expect that to 
> happen soon, because if you think proprietary software licenses can be
> expensive, you haven't seen hardware.
> 
> Andrew

Finally someone who explained this to everyone. Thanks Andrew you
cleared this up to quite a few people.
-- 
Steven
sbarn03@softhome.net
GnuPG Fingerprint: 9357 F403 B0A1 E18D 86D5  2230 BB92 6D64 D516 0A94

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