Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 14:58:17 +0000
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To: David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>
Cc: Diego Zuccato <diego@otello.alma.unibo.it>, 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
Message-ID: <20080207145817.181481e9@core>
In-Reply-To: <47AB1A3E.3040703@davidnewall.com>
References: <20080125180232.GA4613@kroah.com>
	<20080202123710.42df1aa0@weinigel.se>
	<20080202191930.GA19826@kroah.com>
	<47A5D895.20300@davidnewall.com>
	<47A6E742.80408@otello.alma.unibo.it>
	<courier.47A8F072.000079E4@hawking.rebel.net.au>
	<20080205232550.5d3d22ff@core>
	<47AB0101.2050204@davidnewall.com>
	<20080207141030.78958c29@core>
	<47AB1A3E.3040703@davidnewall.com>
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> That's what you claim it says, but has any court, anywhere, agreed with
> you?  You claim the authority of others (i.e. numerous lawyers), but I
> don't believe you have that authority.  You're just starting hearsay. 
> You've never said what lawyers and you've never told us what they
> actually said.

That would be improper as you'd well know if you knew the first thing
about the subject.

> 
> I see that you have a clear political agenda, and I respect it in
> principle, but you're claiming that things are so in pursuit of that
> agenda when you don't *know* that they are.  You don't need to stretch
> any truths to spread adoption of GPL, and doing so is not respectable.

Why don't you just say "you are a liar" as I assume that is what you want
to say. Then I have to read less words before I find you funny.

> I don't understand this, but I do understand that an essential question
> being considered is whether or not Linux can participate in a market
> that prohibits GPL drivers, whether explicitly, or more likely through
> pressure from regulatory bodies.  Doing this would be a mistake. 
> Probably a big one.

Linux is GPL licencesed code you either follow the licence or don't use
it. It's very simple. 
> 
> Don't telling people to switch to BSD, as some have done; they might do
> it.  Where would Linux be if embedded devices used BSD instead?  Don't

I don't actually care. If you want to do binary products then pick a
product you have the right to do that with. 

> think they can't.  Don't think Linux has a technical advantage.  Lose
> the embedded market, and that's where it would be felt first, and Linux
> volumes fall by what?  50%?  90%?  Would you care if servers followed?

The market will ultimately decide which models of software development
are the right ones for which situation. 

Alan
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