Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S264231AbUFPWsJ (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 Jun 2004 18:48:09 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S264196AbUFPWsJ (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 Jun 2004 18:48:09 -0400 Received: from hermine.idb.hist.no ([158.38.50.15]:2833 "HELO hermine.idb.hist.no") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S264271AbUFPWqz (ORCPT ); Wed, 16 Jun 2004 18:46:55 -0400 Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:49:49 +0200 To: Erik Harrison Cc: davids@webmaster.com, eric@cisu.net, Christoph Hellwig , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible Message-ID: <20040616224949.GB7932@hh.idb.hist.no> References: <5b18a542040616133415bf54d1@mail.gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <5b18a542040616133415bf54d1@mail.gmail.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.5.1+cvs20040105i From: Helge Hafting Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1709 Lines: 37 On Wed, Jun 16, 2004 at 04:34:25PM -0400, Erik Harrison wrote: > On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:11:00 -0700, David Schwartz wrote: > > > > > > > > Permission is hereby granted for the distribution of this firmware > > > > image as part of a Linux or other Open Source operating > > > > system kernel > > > > in text or binary form as required. > > > > They can't grant that permission. Every single person who had contributed > > to the Linux kernel would have to agree. The GPL prohibits including > > software that isn't itself GPL'd from being combined with GPL'd software. > > The issue is not permission to distribute this driver, the issue is > > permission to distribute the *kernel*. The kernel's license prohibits > > distrubiting it in combination with works that have licenses more > > restrictive than the GPL. > > That better be bogus, or else vendors are going to be very upset that > they can't ship the kernel with, say, trademarked images. For example, > Mozilla's trademark on their artwork is fairly restrictive, or the > Mandrake Firewall product (if that's even still around - I don't keep > up). Not bogus, but the solutions are simple: 1. don't _link_ the proprietary file into the kernel, ship firmware & logo as separate files along with the distro. No problem. 2. Release drivers under the GPL instead of restrictive licence, provide GPL'ed logos instead of the trademarked ones. Helge Hafting - 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/