Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261326AbTEHLms (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 May 2003 07:42:48 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261336AbTEHLms (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 May 2003 07:42:48 -0400 Received: from pc2-cwma1-4-cust86.swan.cable.ntl.com ([213.105.254.86]:61317 "EHLO lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261326AbTEHLms (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 May 2003 07:42:48 -0400 Subject: Re: Binary firmware in the kernel - licensing issues. From: Alan Cox To: Simon Kelley Cc: Filip Van Raemdonck , "J. Bruce Fields" , Linux Kernel Mailing List , Linus Torvalds In-Reply-To: <3EBA26FC.5030305@thekelleys.org.uk> References: <3EB79ECE.4010709@thekelleys.org.uk> <20030506121954.GO24892@mea-ext.zmailer.org> <20030506151644.GA19898@fieldses.org> <3EB7D7D9.2050603@thekelleys.org.uk> <1052234481.1202.20.camel@dhcp22.swansea.linux.org.uk> <3EB8AD41.5010605@thekelleys.org.uk> <20030507090700.GD25251@debian> <3EB8D7D9.7070304@thekelleys.org.uk> <20030508080116.GD15296@debian> <3EBA26FC.5030305@thekelleys.org.uk> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Organization: Message-Id: <1052391399.10037.1.camel@dhcp22.swansea.linux.org.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.2.2 (1.2.2-5) Date: 08 May 2003 11:56:40 +0100 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 985 Lines: 23 On Iau, 2003-05-08 at 10:44, Simon Kelley wrote: > 4) The same hardware and firmware is unambiguously OK if the firmware > is held in flash rather than initialised by the host. That actually makes a difference because of who shipped it and how it was shipped I am told > 1) The GPL is unclear on this point. > 2) The intention of the GPL is to allow redistribution only > with source. > 3) Some contributors to the kernel might want their work distributed > only with all source, including firmware source. These people > would contend that their copyright had been violated and would > feel aggrieved or sue for lots of money. 4) Debian and in future some other vendors may well rip out all binary firmware files. - 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/