From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-path: Received: from mtiwmhc12.worldnet.att.net ([204.127.131.116]:55107 "EHLO mtiwmhc12.worldnet.att.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752862AbYFKVag (ORCPT ); Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:30:36 -0400 Message-ID: <48504417.7020803@lwfinger.net> (sfid-20080611_233039_452301_0F65E596) Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:31:03 -0500 From: Larry Finger MIME-Version: 1.0 To: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Stefanik_G=E1bor?= CC: Pavel Roskin , Michael Buesch , John Linville , linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Subject: Broadcom's Hybrid Driver References: <48500F14.8070300@canonical.com> <200806112047.00854.mb@bu3sch.de> <1213213666.19106.12.camel@dv> <69e28c910806111326j6922905fq1f67201ab4ce298f@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <69e28c910806111326j6922905fq1f67201ab4ce298f@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: I have two ideas about what Broadcom is doing. The b/g device with an ID of 0x4315 and an LP-PHY is the one that HP has been shipping in many laptops for the past few months. Perhaps HP wants to offer Linux on those computers, but doesn't want to use ndiswrapper for wireless access. HP might have enough clout to get Broadcom to budge a little on the subject of Linux. It is also possible that they want to stifle our RE efforts. The license accompanying the binary blob states: "2.6. No Other Rights Granted; Restrictions. Apart from the license rights expressly set forth in this Agreement, Broadcom does not grant and Licensee does not receive any ownership right, title or interest nor any security interest or other interest in any intellectual property rights relating to the Software, nor in any copy of any part of the foregoing. Licensee shall not (i) use, license, sell or otherwise distribute the Software except as provided in this Agreement, (ii) attempt to reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble any portion of the Software; or (iii) use the Software or other material in violation of any applicable law or regulation, including but not limited to any regulatory agency, such as FCC, rules." Given some of the other parts of the license relating to penalties, etc., anyone trying to RE this code could be in a heap of trouble. Larry