Re: more files with licenses that aren't GPL-compatible

[Eric <eric@cisu.net>]

On Tuesday 15 June 2004 03:57 pm, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> While I don't want to jump into the usual Debian wankfest whether Linux
> as GPL'ed project can distribute hex-images of firmware at all there are
> a few firmware C headers files that have a license statement that aren't
> GPL-compatible at all, namely the keyspan firmware in
> drivers/usb/serial/keyspan*_fw.h with the following license text:

--*snip*--

> 	Permission is hereby granted for the distribution of this firmware
> 	image as part of a Linux or other Open Source operating system kernel
> 	in text or binary form as required.

> 	This firmware may not be modified and may only be used with
> 	Keyspan hardware.  Distribution and/or Modification of the
> 	keyspan.c driver which includes this firmware, in whole or in
> 	part, requires the inclusion of this statement."
> ---------------------------- snip ----------------------------
>
> which makes the kernel as whole unredistributable.  A similar license
> was according to Greg also recently granted for
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62_fw_*.h which currently has even worse license
> statements in there.

Unredistributable? Am I mistaken? It says permission is given to redistribute 
this piece as part of the linux kernel. You just can't modify it. Although it 
is unquestionably not a very permissive license, it's inclusion is not 
detrimental to the kernel.

Please correct me if I am wrong.