GPLv3 is out

GPLv3 is out

Posted Jul 3, 2007 23:49 UTC (Tue) by mmarq (guest, #2332)
In reply to: GPLv3 is out by drag
Parent article: GPLv3 is out

"" 'Derived Work' is in the actual language of the copyright law... For example you have the proprietary kernel modules. Some lawyers will tell you that some of them are, in fact, derived work while others are not... So this is the so-called gray area. Weither or not Nvidia or ATI or whoever is violating the GPL is realy up to a judge. ""

Yes i agree. But it is specially in this 'driver issue' that some technical provisions can make the whole matter more clear.

Example:

. Use an 'hardened' DKMS to provide linking to some parts of the kernel allowing that linking, to the extend recognizable that the modules or plugins therefore are mostly independent BLOBs, because the interface is hardened and the 'maneuvering' space is therefore limited.

-_ a) It will permit proprietary modules like exist today.

-_ b) It will not allow proprietary modules to change indiscriminatory parts of the kernel as it is possible today.

-_ c) It will 'make more compiling' for hardware vendors serious about Linux support to engage in kernel development, specially in those parts that they know/feel are deficient. Instead of outsiders they will became part of the community.

-_ d) None of this invalidate NDAs, only restricts its applicability, because if a vendor making a driver decides that it must change a whole lot of kernel code, it dosent create more gray areas and instead gains more developers.

-_ e) It will not be only about license, but a very 'wit' technical approach, because recognizably parts of a driver are much more dependent of the underlaying hardware than of the kernel environment, and can be therefore used as base for other OSes drivers.

-_ f) It can make the Linux kernel the ' platform of excellence ' for driver development.

. Every other module goes ' in the usual way ' and are therefore a recognizably *derived work*.

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