References: <20080125180232.GA4613@kroah.com>
            <20080202123710.42df1aa0@weinigel.se>
            <20080202191930.GA19826@kroah.com>
            <47A5D9CD.5070001@davidnewall.com>
            <84144f020802030743j1278ac64j2ee3e2cbc5c3fefc@mail.gmail.com>
            <47A5E67D.9040804@davidnewall.com>
            <1202058820.15090.60.camel@violet>
In-Reply-To: <1202058820.15090.60.camel@violet>
From: David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>
To: Marcel Holtmann <marcel@holtmann.org>
Cc: David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>,
       Pekka Enberg <penberg@cs.helsinki.fi>, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>,
       Christer Weinigel <christer@weinigel.se>, linux-usb@vger.kernel.org,
       linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only
Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:09:07 +1030
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Marcel Holtmann writes:
> if a new drivers is originally written for Linux, then you are breaking
> the GPL.

Completely wrong.  However if the driver is distributed as built-in, then it 
would need to be licensed under GPL.  This means that a driver can be 
written and distributed as a module under any licence, proprietary or 
otherwise, presumably with the restriction that it may NOT be built-in. 

> You driver was meant to be
> running as Linux kernel module and thus it is derivative work.

It is precisely the fact that it is a loadable module, and does not form 
part of the kernel, that removes the requirement to distribute it under GPL. 


> What are you arguing here. It makes no difference if it is technical or
> not. The EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL gives you a clear hint that when using this
> symbol, you have to obey to the GPL.

And that "hint" is a lie.
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