Re: [PATCH v1] ASoC: tas2781: fix the license issue for tas781 firmware

[Josh Boyer <jwboyer@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 1:10 AM Shenghao Ding <shenghao-ding@xxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Fix the license issue for tas781 firmware, which are shipped as .bin
> opaque. Remove the GPL-2+, which imposes having the source code
> available.
>
> Signed-off-by: Shenghao Ding <shenghao-ding@xxxxxx>
>
> ---
> v1:
>  - Remove the GPL-2+ and fix the license issue.
>  - Update the year of copyright.
> ---
>  WHENCE | 8 ++++----
>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/WHENCE b/WHENCE
> index b2fc018..b5b12c2 100644
> --- a/WHENCE
> +++ b/WHENCE
> @@ -7384,8 +7384,8 @@ Link: TAS2XXX38E0.bin -> ti/tas2781/TAS2XXX38E0.bin
>  Link: TIAS2781RCA2.bin -> ti/tas2781/TIAS2781RCA2.bin
>  Link: TIAS2781RCA4.bin -> ti/tas2781/TIAS2781RCA4.bin
>
> -Licence: Allegedly GPLv2+, but no source visible. Marked:
> -        Copyright (C) 2023 Texas Instruments
> +Licence: Allegedly LICENCE.ti-tspa, but no source visible. Marked:
> +        Copyright (C) 2023 - 2024 Texas Instruments
>
>  Found in hex form in kernel source.

I realize this was likely a copy/paste from other existing (and very
old) TI firmwares already listed in the WHENCE file, and cleaning it
up is the correct thing to do.  However, I think this patch needs to
go a bit further.

First of all, either the firmware is licensed under the
LICENCE.ti-tspa or it isn't.  I'd suggest:

    Licence: Redistributable. See LICENCE.ti-tspa for details.

for the license statement.  It's certainly not "Allegedly" at this point.

Second, this firmware was never found in hex form in the kernel source
as far as I know (which is where the original ambiguity came from with
other TI firmware).  If that's the case, drop that line as well.

josh

>
> @@ -7397,8 +7397,8 @@ File: ti/tas2563/INT8866RCA2.bin
>  Link: TAS2XXX3870.bin -> ti/tas2563/TAS2XXX3870.bin
>  Link: INT8866RCA2.bin -> ti/tas2563/INT8866RCA2.bin
>
> -Licence: Allegedly GPLv2+, but no source visible. Marked:
> -        Copyright (C) 2023 Texas Instruments
> +Licence: Allegedly LICENCE.ti-tspa, but no source visible. Marked:
> +        Copyright (C) 2023 - 2024 Texas Instruments
>
>  Found in hex form in kernel source.
>
> --
> 2.34.1
>