Subject: Re: GPL Violation?
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
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
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Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 01:32:46 +0100
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Ar Gwe, 2006-08-18 am 00:26 +0100, ysgrifennodd Ian Stirling:
> 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.

If your product differentiator is "used a different ten cent ethernet
chip" then remind me no to buy your stock 8)

What many vendors have found is the fact that they can support chip B
under Linux by copying an existing driver and changing small parts of it
is far more important. 

Alan

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