linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only

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Message-ID: <47ABC375.5040103@davidnewall.com>
Date:	Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:20:29 +1030
From:	David Newall <davidn@...idnewall.com>
To:	Hans-Jürgen Koch <hjk@...utronix.de>
CC:	Christer Weinigel <christer@...nigel.se>,
	Marcel Holtmann <marcel@...tmann.org>,
	Diego Zuccato <diego@...llo.alma.unibo.it>,
	Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>, linux-usb@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only

Hans-Jürgen Koch wrote:
> The license says that derivative work has to be GPL. Naturally, every
> sensible and practically usable license has gray areas. We know that
> and we live with that. But if there's room for interpretation, it's
> perfectly OK and helpful, if the copyright holder states what his
> interpretation is. If you use an EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL symbol in non-GPL
> code, you know that the owner of the work doesn't agree with you
> license-wise.

How can an author form the opinion that another work is derivative, when
it hasn't even necessarily been written yet?

EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL is no statement of the author's beliefs.  It's an
algorithm of restriction, and it affects original, non-derivative works.

>> It requires software that is *distributed* as part of a GPL
>> work to itself be GPL.  At time of distribution, a kernel module is
>> neither using nor linked to the kernel.
>>     
>
> Oh, come on! You cannot turn a derived work into an original work just
> by distributing them seperately.

That's not what I said.  From the start, I've made clear that I'm
talking of original, non-derivative works.  You said that mere linking
makes that non-derivative work derivative:

> Using a symbol from a library means linking to it, and that creates a
> derived work. Why should it be different when using kernel symbols?


This is wrong for the reasons I stated.
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