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

On Die, 2008-02-05 at 21:48 +1030, David Newall wrote:
Bernd Petrovitsch writes:
On Mon, 2008-02-04 at 01:37 +1030, David Newall wrote:
[...]
disadvantage Linux with respect to many classes of devices, for example
GSM transceivers when used in those parts of the world^ where regulatory
requirements prohibit modification of power or frequency settings, which
effectively prohibits open-source driver.

BTW the (trivial?) solution for the hardware manufacturer: People must
use/download some signed binary blurb which actually configures the
limits of the configurable values.

Are you sure that that is not only (the results of) propaganda of
(certain) proprietary companies?

well, yes.

Usually the *user* (at home, wherever) sets "illegal" values. So it's
the users responsibility and the manufacturer, importer or sellers don't
care (if only that can't prevent other "illegal" actions like "beating
some to death with $WLAN_ROUTER").

Or, as is the case perhaps almost everywhere, governments prohibit devices

There are rumors/stories that even the FCC in .us doesn't go after
producers/vendors/sellers of devices which may be operated beyond
governmental requirements. With exactly my comparison BTW.
Does the FCC forbid the *operating* or the *distribution*?

that can operate outside of local requirements.

At least in .at it is not forbidden to import and/or sell devices which
*can* be operated outside some local law requirements. If *you*
configure it wrong, *you* have violated the law/rules and it is thus in
*your* responsibility.

The first reason is that there are European Union laws which basically
override the local Austrian laws - but we can ignore that as it is a
European Union thing.

One (non-technical) reason is that even those requirements change over
time.

Another reason is that e.g. setting the transmit power on some common
WLAN devices to the minimal possible values (which the hardware allows)
doesn't imply staying within legal bounds: I can have a (common of the
shelf!) high-quality antenna and not-so-bad cabling and than I'm beyond
the officially allowed maximum transmit power.

A third (non-technical) reason is that I (as a pure private
person/organization) may have some explicit governmental exception of
the governmental limits (for whatever reason).

I concur that there might be governments which forbid
importing/selling/distributing devices where legal usage is absolutely
not possible.
But historically at least in .at, these devices were simply marked "for
export only". "Problem" solved.

Or do you get a gun manufacturer before court just because someone
committed a crime with a its gun?

Let's not confuse the issue.

It's IMHO precisely the issue (at least with my understanding of law
stuff): Which action is illegal and who is responsible for it.

Bernd
--
Firmix Software GmbH http://www.firmix.at/
mobil: +43 664 4416156 fax: +43 1 7890849-55
Embedded Linux Development and Services


--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Forced into a government camp?
    ... An unprecedented series of natural disasters strike your entire ... evacuation but is generally just damaged and without water, power, etc. ... As a result key municipal and county governments are flooded ...
    (misc.survivalism)
  • Re: Solar powered lasers in space
    ... clever programming the gee forces slide linearly from your start to ... Now, lets look at the power levels needed to achieve that, and the ... The power level to produce 1 kgf is ... for the simple reason that space will not solve the problems and could ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Solar powered lasers in space
    ... Now, lets look at the power levels needed to achieve that, and the ... energy accurately directed at a thrust structure. ... The power level to produce 1 kgf is ... production - the US finds reason to institute regime change in these ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Replacement NAS?
    ... The figures quoted do appear to be within reason (each drive being ... expected to account for approximately 8 watts in the 'power budget' as ... consumption of low power (sub 50 watt) electronic gadgets. ... I'm not sure if you're expecting consistency ...
    (uk.comp.homebuilt)
  • Re: 2015
    ... democracies suffer from certain deficiencies. ... minority of specialists to put the fix in on the system. ... Likely because our leaders owe their power to exercise of this ... Governments do not do this. ...
    (sci.space.policy)