Message-ID: <BAYC1-PASMTP02D09F87AA103F112B20A2AE4D0@CEZ.ICE>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 19:35:40 -0400
From: Sean <seanlkml@sympatico.ca>
To: Ian Stirling <ian.stirling@mauve.plus.com>
Cc: James Courtier-Dutton <James@superbug.co.uk>,
       Arjan van de Ven <arjan@infradead.org>,
       Anonymous User <anonymouslinuxuser@gmail.com>,
       linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: GPL Violation?
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On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:26:59 +0100
Ian Stirling <ian.stirling@mauve.plus.com> wrote:

> Well...
> The problem is that in many cases AIUI, a large entry barrier to
> someone taking CPU A, chip B, sticking it in a box, and selling
> it, is that there is no linux driver for chip B.
> If you (as someone who does not make chip B) release the GPL'd
> driver, then you're making it a fair bit easier for competitors,
> who can now simply copy your often not very novel in any way
> other than you thought of it first - design, and use that driver.
> 

That seems like a very reasonable price to pay for the ability to
use all the work of the many developers who created Linux in the
first place.  There are other operating systems available to use
if you're not happy with such a deal.

Sean
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