Messages in this thread | | | Date | Thu, 7 Feb 2008 14:15:57 +0000 | From | Alan Cox <> | Subject | Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only |
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> > IANAL, but when looking at the "But when you distribute the same > > sections as part of a whole which is a work based on the Program, the > > distribution of the whole must be on the terms of this License" of the > > GPLv2 I would still consult a lawyer before e.g. selling a laptop with a > > closed-source driver loaded through ndiswrapper. > > Don't ignore, "mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program > with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a > storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the > scope of this License." Static linking certainly makes something part > of the whole; dynamic linking doesn't.
Wrong again. You really are quite amusing. The test is "derivative works" not linking. Linking is a meaningless (in law) computing term with no place. Legal precedent for combining of works is drawn from things like shipping a book and a commentary on the book together, putting music to films, putting photos in a book. These are not "linking"
And I know what the lawyers I've talked to have said about the case of shipping proprietary modules with the OS. Its a pretty definite "bad idea"
Alan
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