[linux-dvb] Re: [vdr] Re: Re: Bad news (summary)

[Ralph Metzler <rjkm@convergence.de>]

Dr. Werner Fink writes:
 > On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 06:38:23PM +0100, Andres Torrubia wrote:
 > > Im not a layer, but the GPL reads (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html):
 > > 
 > > 7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
 > > infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
 > > conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
 > > otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not
 > > excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so
 > > as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any
 > > other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute
 > > the Program at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit
 > > royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies
 > > directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both
 > > it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the
 > > Program.
 > 
 > I'm aware of this paragraph of the GPL ... IMHO this does not fit
 > on a separate binary only modul or library from an other distributor
 > which is used by a GPL'ed software.  There are many binary only moduls
 > and libraries out there which are used by GPL'ed software ... think about
 > system libraries of any comerical OS.


Exactly.
In the case of the DVB card the software in question even runs on a
completely different CPU (or even a different computer, considering it
has its own bus, memory, IO ports, etc.).

Sorry, but I do not see a legal way for us to publish the source code
without permission by at least Fujitsu-Siemens and TI (and probably
also Technotrend).
Fujitsu-Siemens was already very supportive (much more than many other
companies) by giving us access to the firmware and allowing us to
distribute our own binaries. And this was on top of giving us
documentation which allowed us to write the PC side of the driver and 
allowing us to publish it under the GPL.


Ralph


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