linux-kernel - Re: GPLv3 Position Statement

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Message-Id: <1159359540.11049.347.camel@localhost.localdomain>
Date:	Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:19:00 +0100
From:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:	Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@...ux01.gwdg.de>
Cc:	Sergey Panov <sipan@...an.org>,
	James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@...elEye.com>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: GPLv3 Position Statement

Ar Mer, 2006-09-27 am 10:58 +0200, ysgrifennodd Jan Engelhardt:
> I think Linus once said that he does not consider the kernel to 
> become part of a combined work when an application uses the kernel.

COPYING top of the kernel source tree.

> I tend to agree, it's gray (unless Linus explicitly colorizes it) -- 
> IIRC the GPL allows a GPL and closed program to interact if they do so 
> using 'standard' interfaces, i.e. passing a file as argument, or 
> shell redirection, communicating over a pipe or a socket, etc.
> But OTOH, linking code makes it a combined work.

No. The definition of a derivative work is a legal one and not a
technical one. Take a look at the history of the objective C compiler
front end for gcc. It is possible that linked code is not derivative or
pipe using code is derivative - consider for example RPC. Simply making
a linux device driver make the same function calls to the kernel by RPC
messages over a pipe type device would not change its status.

Alan

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