Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262499AbUKEAXY (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Nov 2004 19:23:24 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262500AbUKEAXY (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Nov 2004 19:23:24 -0500 Received: from smtpout.mac.com ([17.250.248.84]:11724 "EHLO smtpout.mac.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262499AbUKEAXS (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Nov 2004 19:23:18 -0500 In-Reply-To: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v619) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Message-Id: Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: Kyle Moffett Subject: Re: Possible GPL infringement in Broadcom-based routers Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2004 19:23:14 -0500 To: davids@webmaster.com X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.619) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1990 Lines: 54 On Nov 04, 2004, at 18:57, David Schwartz wrote: > >> Can Broadcom and the vendors "escape" the obligations of the GPL by >> shipping those proprietary drivers as modules, or are they violating >> the >> GPL plain and simple by removing the related source code (and showing >> irrelevant code to show "proof of good will") ? > > That is a contentious issue that has been debated on this group far > too > much. In the United States, at least, the answer comes down to the > complex > legal question of whether the module is a "derived work" of the Linux > kernel > and whether the kernel as shipped with those modules is a "mere > aggregation". Well, from what I can see of the makefiles and sources they distribute, they _don't_ distribute it as kernel+modules, they compile their drivers directly into their kernel: ./arch/mips/brcm-boards/bcm96345/Makefile:EXTRA_CFLAGS += -I$(TOPDIR)/../../targets ./drivers/char/bcm96345/board/Makefile:EXTRA_CFLAGS += -I. -I$(HPATH)/asm/bcm96345 -I$(TOPDIR)/../../targets -fno-exceptions ./Makefile:SUBDIRS +=modulesrc/drivers ../../targets ./Makefile:DRIVERS-y += modulesrc/drivers/kermods.o ../../targets/bp.o They may call the directory "modulesrc", but it does _NOT_ appear to be linked as a kernel module, but directly into the kernel. I think that in this case their build process is too tightly integrated with the kernel to _not_ be a derivative work. Cheers, Kyle Moffett -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.12 GCM/CS/IT/U d- s++: a17 C++++>$ UB/L/X/*++++(+)>$ P+++(++++)>$ L++++(+++) E W++(+) N+++(++) o? K? w--- O? M++ V? PS+() PE+(-) Y+ PGP+++ t+(+++) 5 X R? tv-(--) b++++(++) DI+ D+ G e->++++$ h!*()>++$ r !y?(-) ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------ - 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/