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From: Neil Brown <neilb@cse.unsw.edu.au>
To: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 22:21:35 +1100 (EST)
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Message-ID: <15352.60223.1832.897635@notabene.cse.unsw.edu.au>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Devlinks.  Code.  (Dcache abuse?)
In-Reply-To: message from Alan Cox on Monday November 19
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On Monday November 19, alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk wrote:
> > I think you missed part of my point.
> > There are lots of different name spaces in the kernel.
> > Filesystem names.  Driver names.  Module names.
> > 
> > But the namespace that is the current issue, the namespace of
> > currently available devices, is not a namespace where I would expect
> > trademarks to ever come up.  It is name space of interfaces and
> > instances.
> 
> You mean like adaptec/aic7xxx/0 for the first aic7xxx controller when you
> want to refer to an adaptec card ? And yes - you do need the ability to do
> that kind of thing, not just talk generically about "disks".
> 
> So I still seek an answer. "Shrug, probably wont happen" isnt a good
> one

I was thinking:

   devid/9005/00cf/0

Now maybe the numbers can be trade marks too (I always liked "S3"'s id: 5333).
However this number is extracted from the device in question.  Surely
if I have a device that reports itself as "9005:00cf", then there can
be no trademark violation in addressing the device as "the one which
calls itself 9005:00cf".
There may well be cases where a textual name in more appropriate 
  camera/Kodak DX3115/0/3/thumbnail
but if it is a name that you extract from the device, then you should
be safe.  If there is a trademark violation, then it is in the device,
not in the operating system.

I guess that leaves

 sound/SoundBlaster100%Compatible/

as a potential problem...  but if the device is sold as "100%
Soundblaster compatible", then any trade mark has already been
violated.

I appreciate that "Shrug, probably wont happen" isn't really good
enough, but we cannot stop development of generic kernel facilities
out of fear of reprisals.

NeilBrown

> 
> Alan
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