linux-kernel - Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

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Message-ID: <20080130185446.GF29368@does.not.exist>
Date:	Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:54:46 +0200
From:	Adrian Bunk <bunk@...nel.org>
To:	Chris Friesen <cfriesen@...tel.com>
Cc:	Giridhar Pemmasani <pgiri@...oo.com>,
	Pavel Roskin <proski@....org>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Jon Masters <jonathan@...masters.org>,
	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>, rms@....org
Subject: Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

On Wed, Jan 30, 2008 at 12:26:00PM -0600, Chris Friesen wrote:
> Adrian Bunk wrote:
>
>> IANAL, but I have serious doubts whether putting some glue layer 
>> between the GPL'ed code and the code with a not GPL compatible licence 
>> is really a legally effictive way of circumventing the GPL.
>
> It may depend on the details of the "code with a not GPL compatible  
> licence".
>
> It's pretty hard to argue that a binary driver written for another OS is  
> a derivative work of the linux kernel.

Read the paragraph starting with "These requirements apply to the 
modified work as a whole." of the GPLv2.

IANAL, and I would therefore ask a lawyer whether, and if yes under 
which circumstances, shipping a binary driver written for another OS
dynamically linked into the Linux kernel would not be a criminal offense.

> Chris

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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