From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S263622AbTLJQGv (ORCPT ); Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:06:51 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S263666AbTLJQGv (ORCPT ); Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:06:51 -0500 Received: from ipcop.bitmover.com ([192.132.92.15]:33458 "EHLO work.bitmover.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S263622AbTLJQGu (ORCPT ); Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:06:50 -0500 Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:06:18 -0800 From: Larry McVoy To: David Woodhouse Cc: Larry McVoy , Andre Hedrick , karim@opersys.com, Linus Torvalds , Kendall Bennett , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Message-ID: <20031210160618.GD6896@work.bitmover.com> Mail-Followup-To: Larry McVoy , David Woodhouse , Larry McVoy , Andre Hedrick , karim@opersys.com, Linus Torvalds , Kendall Bennett , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org References: <1071066315.5712.344.camel@hades.cambridge.redhat.com> <20031210144612.GA19357@work.bitmover.com> <1071068703.5712.398.camel@hades.cambridge.redhat.com> <20031210151110.GA6896@work.bitmover.com> <1071071955.5712.428.camel@hades.cambridge.redhat.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <1071071955.5712.428.camel@hades.cambridge.redhat.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Wed, Dec 10, 2003 at 03:59:15PM +0000, David Woodhouse wrote: > On Wed, 2003-12-10 at 07:11 -0800, Larry McVoy wrote: > > You may license *your* work under whatever terms you want. Those terms > > can't extend to things that aren't your work in a copyright license. > > Please elaborate. We're talking about a situation in which I grant a > licence for you to copy and use my work, in exchange for something I > desire from you. In the absence of a contract, this is limited to me > effectively saying "You may copy and use my work if and only if you do > XXX". > > If you do not do 'XXX' then you may not use my work. > > Are you saying that there are things which I may not ask for? Could you > elaborate? I think at this point you need to talk to a lawyer. I can guess where this conversation is going and I'm not going to be effective. > I need a contract to force you to do anything; this is true. > > Without a contract, all I can do if you don't abide by my conditions is > observe that you don't have my permission to copy my work, and hence > that if you do so you are committing a criminal offence. Huh? I don't think that copyright violation makes you a felon. -- --- Larry McVoy lm at bitmover.com http://www.bitmover.com/lm