Subject: Re: Nvidia legal to use by end-users?
From: Bernd Petrovitsch <bernd@firmix.at>
To: Don Bedsole <dbedsole@carolina.rr.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
In-Reply-To: <200605181650.52537.dbedsole@carolina.rr.com>
References: <200605181650.52537.dbedsole@carolina.rr.com>
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Organization: http://www.firmix.at/
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 00:04:31 +0200
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On Thu, 2006-05-18 at 16:50 -0400, Don Bedsole wrote:
[...]
> Question: If I download and install the Nvidia graphics card drivers from 
> their site, am I violating the GPL as an end-user?  I was thinking the the 

No (if you only download, use and/or change it).

> GPL mainly covered what you are allowed or not allowed to do if you 
> distribute software.  I ask because I saw on the OpenSuse site a statement to 

Exactly. Which is the proof that an end-user (which per definition
doesn't distribute sofwtare) cannot violate the GPL.

> the effect that OpenSuse would not ship Nvidia, Ati drivers because some 
> kernel developers consider them a violation of their copyrights.

OpenSuse is obviously not an enduser and - as a "software distributor" -
must care about the GPL.
JftSoC: This doesn't state any opinion about OpenSuse violating the
license if they distribute said drivers from Nvidia.

	Bernd
-- 
Firmix Software GmbH                   http://www.firmix.at/
mobil: +43 664 4416156                 fax: +43 1 7890849-55
          Embedded Linux Development and Services

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