Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only

From: Pekka Enberg
Date: Sun Feb 03 2008 - 11:48:31 EST


Hi David,

On Feb 3, 2008 6:06 PM, David Newall <davidn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > But what I don't understand is why people insist using the Linux kernel
> > for something it clearly can never really properly support (proprietary
> > code)?
>
> That's defeatist. Of course the Linux kernel can properly support
> ("run") proprietary code. It would be a miserable excuse for an
> operating system if it couldn't.

I think you're missing my point: as long as the license stays the way
it is now, you can never distribute proprietary code unless you've
consulted a lawyer and even then you run the risk of being sued for
infringement if the copyright holder thinks what you have is derived
work. The GPLv2 and thus Linux was never designed to allow proprietary
code and arguing that is pointless, isn't it? There are much better
alternatives available and people interested in proprietary code
should be looking there.

Pekka
--
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/