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    SubjectRe: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux
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    Adrian Bunk <bunk@kernel.org> writes:

    > On Tue, Jan 29, 2008 at 11:25:22PM +0000, Måns Rullgård wrote:
    >> Adrian Bunk <bunk@kernel.org> writes:
    >>
    >> > On Tue, Jan 29, 2008 at 04:22:45PM -0500, Pavel Roskin wrote:
    >> >> Hello!
    >> >>
    >> >> It have come to my attention that a patch has been committed to the
    >> >> kernel with the explicit purpose of tainting ndiswrapper - the kernel
    >> >> module allowing Windows NDIS drivers for Ethernet and Wireless cards to
    >> >> be used by the kernel.
    >> >>...
    >> >> Just to reiterate some points from the old discussion:
    >> >>...
    >> >> - no copyright violation is involved, as Windows drivers are not derived
    >> >> from Linux sources
    >> >>...
    >> >
    >> > It is interesting that someone posting with an @gnu.org address claims
    >> > that dynamic linking of not GPLv2 compatible code into GPLv2 code was
    >> > not a copyright violation.
    >>
    >> As long as you don't distribute /proc/kcore, I can't see how the GPL
    >> would have any say in the matter. The Windows drivers are (unrelated
    >> violations aside) clearly not derived from GPL code.
    >
    > Someone might sell a laptop with Linux installed?

    Not a problem, unless it is booted when sold. Even that might not be
    a problem, since it would be a matter of transferring ownership of a
    single copy, not creating and distributing new copies, and the GPL
    does is only concerned with the latter.

    --
    Måns Rullgård
    mans@mansr.com
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