linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v1] ASoC: tas2781: fix the license issue for tas781 firmware

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Message-ID: <CA+5PVA5y5q_uXsmLykeNny6h8GLJTOqk_y2X7-bnnFtZsJRb=w@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:12:41 -0400
From: Josh Boyer <jwboyer@...nel.org>
To: Shenghao Ding <shenghao-ding@...com>
Cc: linux-firmware@...nel.org, zigo@...ian.org, baojun.xu@...com, 
	13564923607@....com, v-po@...com, linux-sound@...r.kernel.org, 
	robinchen@...com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, mimperial@...ovo.com, 
	cchen50@...ovo.com, soyer@....hu, stuart.a.hayhurst@...il.com, navada@...com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v1] ASoC: tas2781: fix the license issue for tas781 firmware

On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 1:10 AM Shenghao Ding <shenghao-ding@...com> wrote:
>
> Fix the license issue for tas781 firmware, which are shipped as .bin
> opaque. Remove the GPL-2+, which imposes having the source code
> available.
>
> Signed-off-by: Shenghao Ding <shenghao-ding@...com>
>
> ---
> v1:
>  - Remove the GPL-2+ and fix the license issue.
>  - Update the year of copyright.
> ---
>  WHENCE | 8 ++++----
>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/WHENCE b/WHENCE
> index b2fc018..b5b12c2 100644
> --- a/WHENCE
> +++ b/WHENCE
> @@ -7384,8 +7384,8 @@ Link: TAS2XXX38E0.bin -> ti/tas2781/TAS2XXX38E0.bin
>  Link: TIAS2781RCA2.bin -> ti/tas2781/TIAS2781RCA2.bin
>  Link: TIAS2781RCA4.bin -> ti/tas2781/TIAS2781RCA4.bin
>
> -Licence: Allegedly GPLv2+, but no source visible. Marked:
> -        Copyright (C) 2023 Texas Instruments
> +Licence: Allegedly LICENCE.ti-tspa, but no source visible. Marked:
> +        Copyright (C) 2023 - 2024 Texas Instruments
>
>  Found in hex form in kernel source.

I realize this was likely a copy/paste from other existing (and very
old) TI firmwares already listed in the WHENCE file, and cleaning it
up is the correct thing to do.  However, I think this patch needs to
go a bit further.

First of all, either the firmware is licensed under the
LICENCE.ti-tspa or it isn't.  I'd suggest:

    Licence: Redistributable. See LICENCE.ti-tspa for details.

for the license statement.  It's certainly not "Allegedly" at this point.

Second, this firmware was never found in hex form in the kernel source
as far as I know (which is where the original ambiguity came from with
other TI firmware).  If that's the case, drop that line as well.

josh

>
> @@ -7397,8 +7397,8 @@ File: ti/tas2563/INT8866RCA2.bin
>  Link: TAS2XXX3870.bin -> ti/tas2563/TAS2XXX3870.bin
>  Link: INT8866RCA2.bin -> ti/tas2563/INT8866RCA2.bin
>
> -Licence: Allegedly GPLv2+, but no source visible. Marked:
> -        Copyright (C) 2023 Texas Instruments
> +Licence: Allegedly LICENCE.ti-tspa, but no source visible. Marked:
> +        Copyright (C) 2023 - 2024 Texas Instruments
>
>  Found in hex form in kernel source.
>
> --
> 2.34.1
>