Interview: Dan Ravicher on derived works [LWN.net]

Interview: Dan Ravicher on derived works

Posted Dec 13, 2003 19:47 UTC (Sat) by torsten (guest, #4137)
Parent article: Interview: Dan Ravicher on derived works

I'd like to see a defined set of rules which allow distribution of binary modules, bring some concensus to this issue, and still abide the GPL.

Here's my suggestions.

1. #include'ing headers does not affect the licensing of a module.
2. Non-GPL modules must use only exported kernel headers.
3. Non-GPL modules may never be distributed with a Linux kernel.
4. Non-GPL modules distributed separate from the Linux kernel have no specific license requirement, subject to (2).
5. Non-GPL modules may not require a vendor-supplied or otherwise modified kernel - they must use standard interface from standard kernels.

Any non-GPL/binary modules must be written from scratch - no copying kernel or other GPL driver software. They can be developed in-house, but the compiled code actually distributed without a Linux kernel, and must not require a vendor-supplied or vendor-modified kernel.

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