Message-ID: <44E5828F.70007@aitel.hist.no>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:04:15 +0200
From: Helge Hafting <helge.hafting@aitel.hist.no>
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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?
References: <40d80630608162248y498cb970r97a14c582fd663e1@mail.gmail.com> <1155795251.4494.9.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <44E4C1B7.9020700@superbug.co.uk> <44E4FB43.4090304@mauve.plus.com>
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Ian Stirling 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. 
Which is why the maker of chip B would do very well to make a basic
linux driver - perhaps not novel in any way, but now everybody want to
use B chips because it comes with working software.

And if linux powered gadgets with chip B becomes popular, surely
someone pick up the simple driver and improves it too.

Helge Hafting
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