Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1750926AbWHSKsL (ORCPT ); Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:48:11 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750921AbWHSKsL (ORCPT ); Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:48:11 -0400 Received: from s2.ukfsn.org ([217.158.120.143]:59312 "EHLO mail.ukfsn.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750774AbWHSKsK (ORCPT ); Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:48:10 -0400 Message-ID: <44E6EC68.9060801@dgreaves.com> Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 11:48:08 +0100 From: David Greaves User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.2 (X11/20060516) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: davids@webmaster.com Cc: alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk, "Linux-Kernel@Vger. Kernel. Org" Subject: Re: GPL Violation? References: In-Reply-To: X-Enigmail-Version: 0.94.0.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1392 Lines: 29 David Schwartz wrote: >> Ar Gwe, 2006-08-18 am 02:51 -0700, ysgrifennodd David Schwartz: >> EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL is clearly a rights management systems. Thats one of >> its little charms. > > No, it is not. If it was, it would violate the GPL. The GPL prohibits any > restrictions not contained in the GPL, and the GPL doesn't say anything > about EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL. To the contrary, the GPL prohibits restrictions on > use. So EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL violates the GPL if you are not free to circumvent > or remove it. > > We had this same discussion a few years ago, and my recollection was that > you agreed that EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL could not be a license enforcement scheme. > Which term of the GPL do you think it enforces exactly? I thought the EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL had a role in rights _management_ insofar as it would shows that anyone circumventing it took a conscious act to do so. This may or may not be valuable in subsequent, possibly legal, discussions. It's not a rights _enforcement_ scheme on it's own (presumably enforcement would ultimately involve men with big sticks - aka the legal system). It simply helps manage (GPL) rights. David - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/