Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3506 mails)

[Matthias Hopf <mhopf@xxxxxxx>]

On Sep 13, 06 18:53:32 +0200, T. Lodewick wrote:
> but I have also written about an act between some kernel maintainer
> against a hardware vendor ( or to be more clear: a router vendor ) that
> has used code from iptable in his software. in that case the german
> court agreed with the maintainers, and give a clear statemend about the
> GPL and the german law.
> if you didn't read that, let me know, I can post the links again.

I vaguely remember that, and it was a completely different case. AFAIR
what the router vendors did (there were several) was a pretty rock solid
breach of the GPL.

This is not perfectly clear in the binary driver situation. They do not
ship GPL code without revealing the source.

> I know that this ( using GPL-licenced code in closed source progarms)
> isn't the same then linking a ( closed sourced ) driver against a
> (GLP-licenced) kernel module it shows 2 importend views:

(should read before answering ;)

> - the GPL is accepted at german courts so it is conform to german law
> - there are ways for the maintainers to get there rights at a (german) court

Nobody ever neglegted that.

> I agree total with you that this all is a "gray zone" as you wrote. and
> I also agree with a lot of people on this list that there must be a
> solution for a) the users to don't get in conflict with the licence and
> make it easy for them to use a driver b) for the maintainer of distros
> to don't get also in conflict with a licence and to include as mutch
> drivers at needfull and c) also the kernel maintainer that there get the
> rights they have.

Ok, peace :)
And world domination =)

> > I think we all agree that open-source drivers are to be preferred and
> > might be the best solution. However, from my point of view the cheap
> > propaganda that some people make against closed-source drivers does not
> > help to solve the problem at all!
> 
> thats your point of view. I have another one. and others maybe have
> there owen. to name that views "cheap propaganda" is not realy nice, and
> with that your owen posts ends to the same: not nice "cheap propaganda"
> against people that believe more in open sourced drivers and it doesn't
> solve the problem at all too.

I agree here. The kernel developers have a valid point, and calling that
propaganda doesn't help anyone.

Matthias

-- 
Matthias Hopf <mhopf@xxxxxxx>       __        __   __
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