linux-kernel - Re: Developing non-commercial drivers ?

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Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.61.0811181325320.26812@chaos.analogic.com>
Date:	Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:33:36 -0500
From:	"linux-os (Dick Johnson)" <linux-os@...logic.com>
To:	"Chris Friesen" <cfriesen@...tel.com>
Cc:	<rk@...-labs.com>,
	Fredrik Markström 
	<fredrik.markstrom@...lonenterprise.com>,
	"Robert Hancock" <hancockr@...w.ca>, <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Developing non-commercial drivers ?

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008, Chris Friesen wrote:

> Radhakrishnan wrote:
>
>> Am I therefore right in assuming that this is a specific case where the
>> open source nature of Linux is being used with great effect but the very
>> nature of the licensing denies ANYONE ELSE from being a party to this
>> transaction ?
>
> Actually, I think the GPL is still satisfied.  There's nothing that says
> that changes need to be passed upstream, only downstream.
>
> 1) Presumably you won't be distributing the binary drivers to anyone
> else, and you gave Organization A the code, so the license is satisfied.
>
> 2) Organization A has no other customers, so is not going to be
> distributing the binaries to anyone else.
>
> 3) The end-user (the Navy) was provided the source code for the GPL'd
> software that they purchased.
>
> As far as I can tell, this is all fully GPL-compliant.
>
> Chris
> --

BTW, Bally, the slot-machine company uses Linux. I have
watched the machines boot. It has driver(s) to interface
with the reels (stepper motors) and the user-interface,
(buttons, money entry, etc.) I'm fairly certain that
if I asked them for the source-code for their drivers
I would not get it. They could claim that, in their
definition of the law, I am not a "qualified end-user."

However, if a casino using the machines were to request
the source-code it is likely that they would comply and
provide it.

It is all about interpretation of law, based upon some
theory claimed for that instant.

Cheers,
Dick Johnson
Penguin : Linux version 2.6.25.17 on an i686 machine (4787.11 BogoMips).
My book : http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/
.

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