linux-kernel - RE: Staging: sxg: slicoss: Specify the license for Sahara SXG and Slicoss drivers

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Message-Id: <20090406135557.EA7091B4039@relay31.relay.iad.mlsrvr.com>
Date:	Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:56:07 -0400
From:	"Christopher J. Harrer" <charrer@...critech.com>
To:	"'Mithlesh Thukral'" <mithlesh@...syssoft.com>,
	"'maximilian attems'" <max@...o.at>
Cc:	"'Linux Kernel Mailing List'" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	<debian-kernel@...ts.debian.org>
Subject: RE: Staging: sxg: slicoss: Specify the license for Sahara SXG and Slicoss drivers

-----Original Message-----
From: Mithlesh Thukral [mailto:mithlesh@...syssoft.com] 
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:08 PM
To: maximilian attems
Cc: Linux Kernel Mailing List; debian-kernel@...ts.debian.org; Christopher
Harrer
Subject: Re: Staging: sxg: slicoss: Specify the license for Sahara SXG and
Slicoss drivers

CCing a person who can better comment.

Cheers,
Mithlesh Thukral

On Monday 06 April 2009 18:42:43 maximilian attems wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Apr 2009, Linux Kernel Mailing List wrote:
> > Gitweb:    
> > http://git.kernel.org/linus/ba0e1ebb7ea0616eebc29d2077355bacea62a9d8
> > Commit:     ba0e1ebb7ea0616eebc29d2077355bacea62a9d8
> > Parent:     19be358212af35bd64d449da82279874099a1a85
> > Author:     Mithlesh Thukral <mithlesh@...syssoft.com>
> > AuthorDate: Wed Mar 25 15:52:54 2009 +0530
> > Committer:  Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...e.de>
> > CommitDate: Fri Apr 3 14:54:38 2009 -0700
> >
> >     Staging: sxg: slicoss: Specify the license for Sahara SXG and 
> > Slicoss drivers
> >
> >     Specify a license for the Alacritech Sahara (10Gbe) and SLICOSS
> > (1GBE) firmware files.
> >
> >     Signed-off-by: Christopher Harrer <charrer@...critech.com>
> >     Signed-off-by: Mithlesh Thukral <mithlesh@...syssoft.com>
> >     Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...e.de>
> > ---
> >  firmware/WHENCE |   33 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
> >  1 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/firmware/WHENCE b/firmware/WHENCE index 
> > df79422..d6c227d 100644
> > --- a/firmware/WHENCE
> > +++ b/firmware/WHENCE
> > @@ -372,7 +372,21 @@ File: slicoss/oasisdbgdownload.sys.ihex
> >  File: slicoss/oasisdownload.sys.ihex
> >  File: slicoss/oasisrcvucode.sys.ihex
> >
> > -Licence: Unknown
> > +Licence:
> > +		Copyright (C) 1999-2009 Alacritech, Inc.
> > +
> > +	as an unpublished work. This notice does not imply unrestricted or
> > +	public access to the source code from which this firmware image is
> > +	derived.  Except as noted below this firmware image may not be
> > +	reproduced, used, sold or transferred to any third party without
> > +	Alacritech's prior written consent.  All Rights Reserved.
> > +
> > +	Permission is hereby granted for the distribution of this firmware
> > +	image as part of a Linux or other Open Source operating system
kernel
> > +	in text or binary form as required.
> > +
> > +	This firmware may not be modified and may only be used with
> > +	Alacritech hardware.
>
> have you read what you say?
>
> the last paragraph disables the distribution right, due beeing only 
> allowed to be touched on alacritech hardware.
>
> i'm certainly not buying anything from alacritech, but would want to 
> disbribute your fimware in Debian in the nonfree firmware-linux 
> package for the benefit of your customers.
> -> http://packages.debian.org/sid/firmware-linux
>
> >  Found in hex form in kernel source.
> >
> > @@ -383,10 +397,23 @@ Driver: SXG - Alacritech IS-NIC products
> >  File: sxg/saharadownloadB.sys.ihex
> >  File: sxg/saharadbgdownloadB.sys.ihex
> >
> > -Licence: Unknown
> > +Licence:
> > +		Copyright (C) 1999-2009 Alacritech, Inc.
> > +
> > +	as an unpublished work. This notice does not imply unrestricted or
> > +	public access to the source code from which this firmware image is
> > +	derived.  Except as noted below this firmware image may not be
> > +	reproduced, used, sold or transferred to any third party without
> > +	Alacritech's prior written consent.  All Rights Reserved.
> > +
> > +	Permission is hereby granted for the distribution of this firmware
> > +	image as part of a Linux or other Open Source operating system
kernel
> > +	in text or binary form as required.
> > +
> > +	This firmware may not be modified and may only be used with
> > +	Alacritech hardware.
>
> same trouble,
> nuke the "and may only be used with Alacritech hardware."
Hello All,

I apologize in advance for the trouble this is causing.  We used an existing
license in the WHENCE file as a template for our text.  The intention of our
wording is not to limit the actual distribution of the firmware file; but to
control the platform(s) the firmware file may be executed on (as opposed to
stored).

Would changing to the wording to "This firmware may not be modified and may
only be loaded to and executed on Alacritech hardware" be more clear? 

Other suggestions, short of removing the line altogether?

Thanks,

Chris Harrer 

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