linux-kernel - RE: MODULE

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <MDEHLPKNGKAHNMBLJOLKOEGKFPAC.davids@webmaster.com>
Date:	Tue, 7 Aug 2007 11:22:49 -0700
From:	"David Schwartz" <davids@...master.com>
To:	"linux-kernel" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: RE: MODULE_LICENSE usage

> My company has been given documentation and the library source under
> the terms of an NDA with the chipset manufacturer.  We are permitted
> to compile the library and distribute the resultant binary blob, but
> not release the source to the library.

> The binary blob is linked into the driver we have written.  We don't
> distribute this compiled module, customers are given the driver source
> and the library blob, which they compile themselves.

Make absolutely 100% sure that your driver source code is not a derivative
work of any existing kernel code. If it is, you may be violating the
copyright of that code just by distributing the source to your driver. If
your driver takes sufficient protectable elements both from the kernel and
the library, it cannot be distributed in source code form.

I would definitely consult a good lawyer to make sure you aren't breaking
any of the rules.

As for the MODULE_LICENSE tag, if it's supposed to indicate the library the
module is under after it's compiled, it's definitely not GPL or GPL with
additional rights. Since you can't get the source code to the entire module
and can't distribute the binary, it's under a proprietary license.

DS

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/