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

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Message-ID: <20080212180450.1c309c7d@core>
Date:	Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:04:50 +0000
From:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:	Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu
Cc:	Marcel Holtmann <marcel@...tmann.org>, davids@...master.com,
	David Newall <davidn@...idnewall.com>,
	Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>,
	Christer Weinigel <christer@...nigel.se>,
	linux-usb@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] USB: mark USB drivers as being GPL only

> What happens if I ship a binary-only program that uses *either* a GPL library
> or a custom library with the same API?  "If you don't have the Frobozz-Foo
> library, you'll have to supply your own work-alike"....

It depends whether it is a derived work. It doesn't matter if you paint
it green, hang from trees while writing it or recompile it backwards
while chanting - the legal boundary is the one from copyright law and
that is where you must look for precedent and answers whether from prior
computing cases or from equivalents in other areas.

Alan
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