linux-kernel - Re: GPL vs non-GPL device drivers

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Message-ID: <orr6sqoipb.fsf@free.oliva.athome.lsd.ic.unicamp.br>
Date:	Fri, 16 Feb 2007 02:00:16 -0200
From:	Alexandre Oliva <aoliva@...hat.com>
To:	Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org>
Cc:	"Michael K. Edwards" <medwards.linux@...il.com>,
	v j <vj.linux@...il.com>, Theodore Tso <tytso@....edu>,
	Dave Jones <davej@...hat.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: GPL vs non-GPL device drivers

On Feb 15, 2007, Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org> wrote:

> Michael K. Edwards wrote:
>> On 2/15/07, Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org> wrote:

>>> The /whole point/ of the GPL is to funnel contributions back.

>> Bzzzt.  The whole point of the GPL is to "guarantee your freedom to
>> share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for
>> all its users."

> No, that's the FSF marketing fluff you've been taught to recite.

The same FSF that wrote the GPL, no less ;-)

> In the context of the Linux kernel, I'm referring to the original
> reason why Linus chose the GPL for the Linux kernel.

If he chose it for this reason, he chose the wrong license.  The GPL
does not funnel contributions back.  It doesn't even require anyone to
make contributions: you're free to keep your improvements only to
yourself.  And even if you distribute them, you can choose whom to
distribute it to, and that might very well leave the 'back' out.

-- 
Alexandre Oliva         http://www.lsd.ic.unicamp.br/~oliva/
FSF Latin America Board Member         http://www.fsfla.org/
Red Hat Compiler Engineer   aoliva@...dhat.com, gcc.gnu.org}
Free Software Evangelist  oliva@...d.ic.unicamp.br, gnu.org}
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