Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 16:15:50 +0200
From: Olivier Galibert <galibert@pobox.com>
To: Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Can't use SYSFS for "Proprietry" driver modules !!!.
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On Tue, Mar 29, 2005 at 11:00:30AM -0800, David Schwartz wrote:
> 	Since the GPL permits their removal, removing them cannot be circumventing
> the GPL. Since the GPL is the only license and the license permits you to
> remove them, they cannot be a license enforcement mechanism. How can you
> enforce a license that permits unrestricted functional modification?

You misunderstand totally the EXPORT_GPL system.  It does not mean
"this is a technological system to prevent you to use it with non-gpl
compatible code".  It means "The author of that code consider that
using this function makes your code so linux-specific that it must be
a derivative work of the code implementing the function, so if you use
it from non gpl-compatible code you'll be sued.  And since he's nice,
he uses a technical method to prevent you from doing such a copyright
violation by mistake.".

See the subtle difference?  EXPORT_GPL is here to _help_ proprietary
driver authors.  Your lawyers should _love_ it and skin you alive if
you try to get around it.

  OG.

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