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To: Helge Hafting <helgehaf@aitel.hist.no>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in closed source drivers? 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:08:00 +0100."
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From: Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu
References: <Pine.LNX.4.10.10301022110580.421-100000@master.linux-ide.org> <1041596161.1157.34.camel@fly> <3E158738.4050003@walrond.org> <3E159336.F249C2A1@aitel.hist.no> <3E15A2C8.7060903@walrond.org> <3E195A4B.B160B1D2@aitel.hist.no> <3E196749.8080509@walrond.org>
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On Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:08:00 +0100, Helge Hafting <helgehaf@aitel.hist.no>  said:
> loss.  Giving away driver code (or at least programming specs)
> wouldn't be a loss to nvidia though - because users would still
> need to buy those cards.

It would be a major loss to nvidia *AND* its customers if it were bankrupted in
a lawsuit because it open-sourced code or specs that contained intellectual
property that belonged to somebody else.  Of course, if that happened, you'd
still have the "freedom" to buy the other vendor's cards - maybe(*)

In the real world, ideology needs to be tempered with realism.

(*) there's a ripple effect here - if the otherwise-best laptop is only
available with an nvidia card, you now have the "freedom" to choose a otherwise
less-suitable model.  And so on....

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