From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" <mcgrof@xxxxxxxx> Firmware licenses on linux-firmware should include an implicit or explicit patent grant to end users for full device operation otherwise it would start making linux-firmware useless for many Linux distributions which have positions against patent encumbered software [0] [1] [2] and it would mean cherry picking firmware files out. It can also mean making it problematic to redistribute linux-firmware in some jurisdictions which could have different positions on patents, or have already outlawed software patents. Licenses with implicit patent grants are allowed given that otherwise we couldn't carry permissively licensed firmwares which would be silly, but using permissively licensed firmware files which remove patent grants explicitly are not allowed. A clarifications is needed as one attempt was already made to include firmware encumbered by patents without a grant [3] and it was decided we would not allow these. We clarify this to make this requirement explicit and prevent these type of further attempts. [0] https://www.debian.org/legal/patent [1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Software_Patents#Red_Hat.27s_position_on_Software_Patents [2] http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about-us/ [3] https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/3/14/182 Cc: netdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: linux-wireless@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez <mcgrof@xxxxxxxx> --- This wasn't clear and at one point one entity already tried to get included a firmware that explicitly removes any patent grants for users. README | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/README b/README index f2ed92e..d2a56ec 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ and also cc: to related mailing lists. Your commit should include an update to the WHENCE file clearly identifying the licence under which the firmware is available, and -that it is redistributable. If the licence is long and involved, it's +that it is redistributable. Being redistributable includes ensuring +the firmware license provided includes an implicit or explicit +patent grant to end users to ensure full functionality of device +operation with the firmware. If the licence is long and involved, it's permitted to include it in a separate file and refer to it from the WHENCE file. And if it were possible, a changelog of the firmware itself. -- 2.0.0 -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-wireless" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
