linux-kernel - Re: GPL only modules [was Re: [GIT PATCH] more Driver core patches for 2.6.19]

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Message-ID: <20061214195136.GD3388@stusta.de>
Date:	Thu, 14 Dec 2006 20:51:36 +0100
From:	Adrian Bunk <bunk@...sta.de>
To:	Theodore Tso <tytso@....edu>, Alan <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...l.org>, Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de>,
	Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>,
	Martin Bligh <mbligh@...igh.org>,
	"Michael K. Edwards" <medwards.linux@...il.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: GPL only modules [was Re: [GIT PATCH] more Driver core patches for 2.6.19]

On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 12:17:49PM -0500, Theodore Tso wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 04:33:47PM +0000, Alan wrote:
> > > The trick is to let a lawyer send cease and desist letters to people 
> > > distributing the infringing software for 1 Euro at Ebay.
> > 
> > Doesn't that sound even more like the music industry ? Pick on Grandma,
> > and people who've no clue about the issue. It's not the way to solve such
> > problems. The world does not need "The war on binary modules". Educate
> > people instead, and talk to vendors.
> 
> .... or like Microsoft, who is threatening to make war on end-users
> instead of settling things with vendors.  (One of the reasons why I
> personally find the Microsoft promise not to sue _Novell_'s end users
> so nasty.  Microsoft shouldn't be threatening anyone's users; if they
> have a problem, they should be taking it up with the relevant vendor,
> not sueing innocent and relatively shallow-pocketed end-users and
> distributors.)
> 
> One of the things that I find so interesting about how rabid people
> get about enforcing GPL-only modules is how they start acting more and
> more like the RIAA, MPAA, and Microsoft every day....

Please don't think or imply I'd plan to do this, I'm only saying that 
there's a risk for users in such grey areas.

It could be that someone who wants to harm Linux starts suing people 
distributing Linux. If your goal is to harm Linux, suing users can 
simply be much more effective than suing vendors...

It could even be that people distributing Linux could receive cease and 
desist letters from people without any real interest in the issue
itself - "cease and desist letter"s are so frequent in Germany because 
the people who have to sign them have to pay the lawyers' costs that are 
usually > 1000 Euro, and that's a good business for the lawyers.

> 						- Ted

cu
Adrian

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed

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