From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S268013AbUH1A6V (ORCPT ); Fri, 27 Aug 2004 20:58:21 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S268040AbUH1A6V (ORCPT ); Fri, 27 Aug 2004 20:58:21 -0400 Received: from jib.isi.edu ([128.9.128.193]:13704 "EHLO jib.isi.edu") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S268013AbUH1A6O (ORCPT ); Fri, 27 Aug 2004 20:58:14 -0400 Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 17:50:03 -0700 From: Craig Milo Rogers To: Rob van Nieuwkerk Cc: Wouter Van Hemel , prakashkc@gmx.de, vda@port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: kernel 2.6.8 pwc patches and counterpatches Message-ID: <20040828005003.GJ24018@isi.edu> References: <33193.151.37.215.244.1093530681.squirrel@webmail.azzurra.org> <200408270917.47656.vda@port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua> <200408271604.35400.vda@port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua> <412F337C.90206@gmx.de> <20040828011818.2d5f282c.robn@berrymount.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20040828011818.2d5f282c.robn@berrymount.nl> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On 04.08.28, Rob van Nieuwkerk wrote: > The author of the pwc driver has publicly stated that this > NDA has expired more than 1 year ago !!! > > Despite this he refuses to release the source code for the binary-only > driver. Of course it is his right to do so: it is his code. > But I think it is important for everyone to know this fact. I agree that everyone should know this. It shows remarkable integrity and restraint on Nemosoft's part, and is, I feel, in concordance with the values that Linux recently expressed in his message regarding the GPL and lawyers. In one of Nemosoft's messages, he said that we wasn't releasing proprietary data on the Philips chips, even though his NDA has expired, because (and I'm paraphrasing here) he wants to maintain a good working relationship with Philips. I believe that this is an important point, and a critical one for long-term success. We, the Linux community, should want Philips to voluntarily release the details on their chips. This is important because we should want Philips to release *new* programming details on *new* chips in a timely fashion; preferably, in an open-source-conformant fashion. As you can see, if Nemosoft were to unilaterally breach Philips' confidence in him, then Philips might stop telling him the programming details on new chips. Linux would potentially have working open source drivers for older chips, but potentially no drivers at all, open or closed source, for new chips by this manufacturer. Craig Milo Rogers