Re: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible

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To: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>
Date:	Tue, 15 Jun 2004 19:38:02 -0500

On Tuesday 15 June 2004 03:57 pm, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> While I don't want to jump into the usual Debian wankfest whether Linux
> as GPL'ed project can distribute hex-images of firmware at all there are
> a few firmware C headers files that have a license statement that aren't
> GPL-compatible at all, namely the keyspan firmware in
> drivers/usb/serial/keyspan*_fw.h with the following license text:

--*snip*--

> 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
> Keyspan hardware. Distribution and/or Modification of the
> keyspan.c driver which includes this firmware, in whole or in
> part, requires the inclusion of this statement."
> ---------------------------- snip ----------------------------
>
> which makes the kernel as whole unredistributable. A similar license
> was according to Greg also recently granted for
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62_fw_*.h which currently has even worse license
> statements in there.

Unredistributable? Am I mistaken? It says permission is given to redistribute
this piece as part of the linux kernel. You just can't modify it. Although it
is unquestionably not a very permissive license, it's inclusion is not
detrimental to the kernel.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
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• Previous message: Atul Sabharwal: "Re: [Announce] Non Invasive Kernel Monitor for threads/processes"
• In reply to: Christoph Hellwig: "more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible"
• Next in thread: Kyle Moffett: "Re: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible"
• Reply: Kyle Moffett: "Re: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible"
• Reply: David Schwartz: "RE: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible"
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