Re: [openib-general] Re: [PATCH][RFC/v1][4/12] Add InfiniBand SA (Subnet Administration) query support

[Johannes Erdfelt <johannes@erdfelt.com>]

On Tue, Nov 23, 2004, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 23, 2004 at 09:52:46AM -0800, Johannes Erdfelt wrote:
> > On Mon, Nov 22, 2004, Greg KH <greg@kroah.com> wrote:
> > > To be straightforward, either drop the RCU code completely, or change
> > > the license of your code.  
> > 
> > Or compile against non-GPL RCU code, right?
> 
> No.  RCU is covered by a patent that only allows for it to be
> implemented in GPL licensed code.  If you want to use RCU in non-GPL
> code, you need to sign a license agreement with the holder of the RCU
> patent.
> 
> This was all covered a few years ago when the RCU code first went into
> the kernel tree.  See the lkml archives for details.
> 
> So the very usage of RCU in the code is the issue here, not the fact
> that it is being linked against a GPL licensed header file.
> 
> This isn't a GPL interpretation here, but a patent license agreement
> issue.  Sorry for not being clearer the first time around, I thought
> everyone was aware of this issue by now.

Ahh, I missed that and it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the header file
atleast.

Thanks for clearing that up.

JE