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Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel"Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel"Posted Sep 20, 2010 19:15 UTC (Mon) by michaeljt (subscriber, #39183)In reply to: Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel" by NightMonkey Parent article: Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel"
> Also, that download page ( http://edelivery.oracle.com/EPD/GetUserInfo/get_form?call... ) has some seriously restrictive language which must be agreed to before downloading. Is that actually compatible with the GPL v2 to have all those additional restrictions attached before downloading the software?
For Oracle Linux I see two restrictions - one that the person downloading must accept the GPLv2, and the other is the export restriction stuff that they are required to put there according to US law. I think that if the GPL doesn't allow that then it forbids any US company from distributing the Linux kernel altogether unless they rip out at least the cryptography bits.
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Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel" Posted Sep 20, 2010 20:21 UTC (Mon) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]
> the person downloading must accept the GPLv2
Only if they plan to redistribute it themselves (in which case the act of redistribution itself constitutes acceptance).
Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel" Posted Sep 21, 2010 20:09 UTC (Tue) by butlerm (subscriber, #13312) [Link]
"in which case the act of redistribution itself constitutes acceptance"
Strictly speaking that is not true. No one "accepts" an ordinary license. The liability is entirely in terms of getting sued if you go beyond the rights granted to you by the license itself (or the other rights you have license or no license).
Of course this wanders into the bizarre world of shrinkwrap and other post-sale/post-delivery "licenses", and how and why they actually do what they claim to. At least there is substantial and identifiable consideration in most cases there though, making the arrangement look much more like a contract than a blanket grant to whoever and whomever.
Oracle's "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel" Posted Sep 22, 2010 12:23 UTC (Wed) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]
Yeah, you win the pedantry award. You don't accept a license: you choose to exercise the rights it grants you.
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