Darren Reed <avalon@coombs.anu.edu.au> writes:
> Sorry to disturb you folks, but someone has pointed out to me
> that there are some files (e.g. linux/drivers/net/bsd_comp.c)
> which are licensed under the BSD license and not the GPL.
>
> Whilst the Linux kernel itself is `meant' to be GPL'd, there
> would appear to be some doubt about whether the GPL would allow
> such files to be included (no sub-licensing, etc). Has anyone
> received legal advice about whether those files do in fact
> represent a further restriction that would conflict with the
> GPL ? If so, can they still be (re)distributed with Linux ?
> Afterall, it is not appropriate to just remove the offending
> lines...
The file in question is copyright UCB.
UCB has recently dropped the problematical clause (3) of the license,
and the BSD license without that does not conflict with the GPL. UCB
as the copyright holder can drop that. They did. So there is no problem.
The other few BSDed files are only a few include files that define
some constants for the sockets API (it is an interface, not actual
code). They are only a few lines anyways.
The Linux Sockets code itself has no relation to BSD, except
that it tries to be bug-to-bug compatible.
-Andi
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Mar 07 2000 - 21:00:22 EST