Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3

Daniel Hazelton
2007-06-18T15:46:56Z

On Monday 18 June 2007 04:49:56 Anders Larsen wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:54:56 -0300, Alexandre Oliva wrote:
> > I don't know any law that requires tivoization.
>
> Not exactly laws, but pretty close:
>
> Credit-card payment terminals are subject to strict security
> certification, where it has to be ensured that
>
> a) the user cannot tinker with the device without rendering it unusable
> for its original purpose (electronic payments), and
>
> b) the manufacturer is able to update the device _in_ _the_ _field_.
>
> Those are hard requirements imposed by the banks and credit-card companies.
>
> We _are_ allowed to disclose the source code (and we do, of course) so
> that it can be used for other purposes, and of course the user can modify
> it. But there's just no way she would be (legally) able to run the
> modified software in the same device for the original purpose.

And with the current laws it wouldn't just be the user that is charged with a
crime, but the company. For "Facilitating the commission of a crime". (btw,
that is how, in the US, companies that provide "Full Automatic" conversion
kits are prosecuted. (You can't be touched for providing instructions on how
to do it - "Freedom of Speech" and all that, but...)

DRH

> With the (current draft of) GPLv3 we could not legally use Linux on such
> devices.
>
> Cheers
> Anders

--
Dialup is like pissing through a pipette. Slow and excruciatingly painful.