In-Reply-To: <200411051906.iA5J6XJd014410@laptop11.inf.utfsm.cl>
References: <200411051906.iA5J6XJd014410@laptop11.inf.utfsm.cl>
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Cc: jp@enix.org, "Adam J. Richter" <adam@yggdrasil.com>,
       linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, davids@webmaster.com
From: Kyle Moffett <mrmacman_g4@mac.com>
Subject: Re: Possible GPL infringement in Broadcom-based routers
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 22:21:53 -0500
To: Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl>
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
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On Nov 05, 2004, at 14:06, Horst von Brand wrote:
> This is nonsense: If so, I'd be commiting a crime each time I fire up 
> emacs
> on Solaris (linking (GPLed) emacs to (propietary) libc in RAM). [Yes, 
> just
> an example; haven't done so for the best part of 5 years now...]

What you do with the GPL _on_your_computer_ is not relevant.  libc is a
standard interface, which is used by many programs, much the same way
that a keyboard is a standard interface to a computer.  You don't see
companies with copyright to _all_ keyboards, do you? ;-D

> Besides, Linus has _explicitly_ said that binary (closed source) 
> modules
> are OK (under certain conditions). And AFAIU there was legitimate
> discussion wether this particular excemption was required at al.

This, of course, would assume that said code is compiled as a module. I
posted earlier some available makefile snippets from the code that they
_do_ distribute that shows they do _not_ link it as a module, but 
directly
into the kernel.  Last I saw, NVidia couldn't distribute kernels with 
their
modules compiled directly into the binary.

Cheers,
Kyle Moffett

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