On Sun, 2008-06-08 at 18:34 -0400, Alan Cox wrote: > Actually Dave I continue to think you are the mistaken one in the case > of firmware files. I would suggest you read up on derivative works > rather than your pet interpretation of the GPL. Are you suggesting that the bzImage we ship is not derived from the kernel source? Or that to distribute it, you don't need the permission which is granted by the GPL? It is a common mistake to think that because the firmware itself is not derived from the kernel, it therefore _cannot_ be touched by the GPL whatever the GPL actually says. This is not so. A software licence can make whatever restrictions it likes (within reason). If you are required to pay money, you cannot refuse on the basis that the money is not a derived work of the software. If you are required to send a postcard, you cannot refuse on the basis that the postcard is not a derived work of the software. If you are required to place some of your own work under GPL, you cannot refuse on the basis that your own work is not a derived work of the software. If you are required to sacrifice your first-born child, one would sincerely hope that your reason for refusal is _not_ the fact that your first-born child is not a derived work of the software. Of course you _can_ refuse, in all of the above cases -- for whatever reasons you like. But if you do refuse, then you have no permission to distribute the software in question. (In the latter case, the person who released software under that licence may get in trouble for promoting an attitude of violence, but you still wouldn't be permitted to use his software). -- dwmw2 -- fedora-devel-list mailing list fedora-devel-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-devel-list
