Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 14:06:29 +0000
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To: David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>
Cc: Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>, Christer Weinigel <christer@weinigel.se>,
       Pekka Enberg <penberg@cs.helsinki.fi>, linux-usb@vger.kernel.org,
       linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only
Message-ID: <20080207140629.309c2a3f@core>
In-Reply-To: <47AAFE91.1080104@davidnewall.com>
References: <20080125180232.GA4613@kroah.com>
	<20080202123710.42df1aa0@weinigel.se>
	<20080202191930.GA19826@kroah.com>
	<20080203124849.0226560f@weinigel.se>
	<84144f020802030635h3a9c4304n943d117e936f1c2d@mail.gmail.com>
	<47A5F418.6030104@weinigel.se>
	<20080203231530.GB15692@kroah.com>
	<courier.47A8EDDC.0000785F@hawking.rebel.net.au>
	<20080205231724.729a7a60@core>
	<47AAFE91.1080104@davidnewall.com>
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> Perhaps you might read up on unfair trade practices and contract law. 

I'm familiar with them to some extent because I have run companies in the
past and continue to do so as a sideline to my Red Hat work. I also spend
more time than I'd like talking to lawyers about licencing.

> The contract (GPL) doesn't prevent me from using GPL work, in fact it
> encourages me.  Neither can it impose conditions upon original work
> authored by a third party.

First mistake: The GPL is not a contract it is a license.

If the GPL was a contract it could most certainly impose conditions upon
original works. Contract law permits to write things like "If you buy the
source for this package you agree not to write a competing product for
three years even if an origina work". 

Alan
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