Re: Possible GPL infringement in Broadcom-based routers

[Kyle Moffett]

On Nov 05, 2004, at 14:06, Horst von Brand wrote:
> This is nonsense: If so, I'd be commiting a crime each time I fire up 
> emacs
> on Solaris (linking (GPLed) emacs to (propietary) libc in RAM). [Yes, 
> just
> an example; haven't done so for the best part of 5 years now...]

What you do with the GPL _on_your_computer_ is not relevant.  libc is a
standard interface, which is used by many programs, much the same way
that a keyboard is a standard interface to a computer.  You don't see
companies with copyright to _all_ keyboards, do you? ;-D

> Besides, Linus has _explicitly_ said that binary (closed source) 
> modules
> are OK (under certain conditions). And AFAIU there was legitimate
> discussion wether this particular excemption was required at al.

This, of course, would assume that said code is compiled as a module. I
posted earlier some available makefile snippets from the code that they
_do_ distribute that shows they do _not_ link it as a module, but 
directly
into the kernel.  Last I saw, NVidia couldn't distribute kernels with 
their
modules compiled directly into the binary.

Cheers,
Kyle Moffett

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GCM/CS/IT/U d- s++: a17 C++++>$ UB/L/X/*++++(+)>$ P+++(++++)>$
L++++(+++) E W++(+) N+++(++) o? K? w--- O? M++ V? PS+() PE+(-) Y+
PGP+++ t+(+++) 5 X R? tv-(--) b++++(++) DI+ D+ G e->++++$ h!*()>++$ r  
!y?(-)
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------


-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/