Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S264795AbUDWM1R (ORCPT ); Fri, 23 Apr 2004 08:27:17 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S264797AbUDWM1R (ORCPT ); Fri, 23 Apr 2004 08:27:17 -0400 Received: from chaos.analogic.com ([204.178.40.224]:42880 "EHLO chaos.analogic.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S264795AbUDWM1H (ORCPT ); Fri, 23 Apr 2004 08:27:07 -0400 Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 08:29:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Richard B. Johnson" X-X-Sender: root@chaos Reply-To: root@chaos.analogic.com To: Andrew McGregor cc: Guennadi Liakhovetski , Bartlomiej Zolnierkiewicz , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [somewhat OT] binary modules agaaaain In-Reply-To: <5137757.1082762917@[192.168.1.249]> Message-ID: References: <5137757.1082762917@[192.168.1.249]> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1971 Lines: 48 On Fri, 23 Apr 2004, Andrew McGregor wrote: > And it must, if only because there are laws that require some device > drivers to be binary only. WRONG. I work in the industry. There are no such rule(s). In fact, it's quite the opposite. Anything that is FCC Type Accepted or Type Approved has, as a matter of law, its complete design information, to the extent required for FCC Type Acceptance, available for public inspection in the Public Reference Room. Therefore, it can't be hidden as something "proprietary". > > I kid you not, take a look at the FCC software radio rules. Some wireless > cards fall into their definition. > The requirement that the devices "not be modified" has been interpreted by some to mean that software can't be supplied to the end-user. This is an interpretation and, in fact, an invalid one. If a user were to modify the device, (presumably by changing the software) it is no longer Type Approved in the case of receivers, and, if a transmitter the modification must be done in accordance with "good standards of engineering practice" under the authority of a holder of a General Radiotelephone (or Radiotelegraph) License. The operation of a receiver that is not "Type Approved" is not unlawful unless it produces "harmful interference". Type Approval was necessary to SELL a device that generates radio frequency energy, not to use it. FYI Amateur Radio Operators make receivers and transmitters. They are not Type Approved. Holders of FCC Radiotelephone licenses are allowed to make or modify even 50,000 watt broadcast transmitters. Cheers, Dick Johnson Penguin : Linux version 2.4.26 on an i686 machine (5557.45 BogoMips). Note 96.31% of all statistics are fiction. - 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/