Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S966198AbXBPIgM (ORCPT ); Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:36:12 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S966205AbXBPIgM (ORCPT ); Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:36:12 -0500 Received: from nikam-dmz.ms.mff.cuni.cz ([195.113.20.16]:54765 "EHLO nikam.ms.mff.cuni.cz" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-FAIL) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S966198AbXBPIgL (ORCPT ); Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:36:11 -0500 Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:36:08 +0100 From: Martin Mares To: v j Cc: Scott Preece , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: GPL vs non-GPL device drivers Message-ID: References: <9b3a62ab0702142115m4ea7d2c0m6869eb64ef3ee14e@mail.gmail.com> <9b3a62ab0702142116n4069e16cl1bc8f546f41d935@mail.gmail.com> <20070215061149.GE15654@redhat.com> <9b3a62ab0702142227j19386132s870a0e745cfbb8d1@mail.gmail.com> <20070215165339.GB5285@thunk.org> <9b3a62ab0702151020k5bd0e4c9w763e1b01288ccc4f@mail.gmail.com> <7b69d1470702151705h297c3b38g138eb0138b900aea@mail.gmail.com> <9b3a62ab0702151800r3fdb6d64offc6e1de5837b4fd@mail.gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <9b3a62ab0702151800r3fdb6d64offc6e1de5837b4fd@mail.gmail.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1492 Lines: 32 Hello! > Assuming these need not be GPL, I have a problem with > EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL and the general trend in the direction of making > proprietary drivers harder on companies. Most kernel developers did always say they don't agree with proprietary drivers, don't want to support them and that they are convinced such drivers are illegal. And according to the language of the GPL and the copyright law, it's quite possible they really are illegal (although a court _might_ rule that the modules are not a derived work of the kernel). Even with all that, you still decided to distribute such modules. What you are complaining about? > So why beat about the bush? Just make it illegal to load proprietary > drivers, or remove EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL. The point is that it's impossible to make it illegal (although many of the authors of the kernel would like to) -- the point is that if kernel modules aren't derivative works of the kernel, the kernel license cannot control them. Have a nice fortnight -- Martin `MJ' Mares http://mj.ucw.cz/ Faculty of Math and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Rep., Earth This mail doesn't contain viruses, because it wasn't sent from MS Windows. Checked by eyes. - 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/