Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:29:42 +0000
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To: Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu
Cc: Fredrik =?ISO-8859-14?B?TWFya3N0cvZt?= 
	<fredrik.markstrom@avalonenterprise.com>,
       linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Developing non-commercial drivers ?
Message-ID: <20081118192942.3c676f0d@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
In-Reply-To: <63125.1227036333@turing-police.cc.vt.edu>
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	<63125.1227036333@turing-police.cc.vt.edu>
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> an entire CPU architecture and be OK on the GPL licensing of all the code
> in arch/new-foo-cpu that exposes the IP of the cpu design, but they're worried
> about the special sauce in a freakin' *ethernet controller*?

Not entirely. There are several reasons this may occur
- They could have something genuinely new - unlikely to be honest
- They could think they have something genuinely new but don't
- They may not yet have filed some relevant patent applications in which
case they have to worry about secrecy

and other reasons.

Probably they should talk to the Linux Foundation. I'm not sure that
assuming they are clueless is the first step. Understanding the problem
as they see it is more important and probably something the Linux
Foundation can help with and under a business to business framework.
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