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

[David Newall]

Marcel Holtmann writes:
> if a new drivers is originally written for Linux, then you are breaking
> the GPL.

Completely wrong.  However if the driver is distributed as built-in, then it 
would need to be licensed under GPL.  This means that a driver can be 
written and distributed as a module under any licence, proprietary or 
otherwise, presumably with the restriction that it may NOT be built-in. 

> You driver was meant to be
> running as Linux kernel module and thus it is derivative work.

It is precisely the fact that it is a loadable module, and does not form 
part of the kernel, that removes the requirement to distribute it under GPL. 


> What are you arguing here. It makes no difference if it is technical or
> not. The EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL gives you a clear hint that when using this
> symbol, you have to obey to the GPL.

And that "hint" is a lie.
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