Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

Adrian Bunk
2008-02-05T13:00:18Z

On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 02:00:31AM +0100, Michael Gerdau wrote:
> > > > IANAL, and I would therefore ask a lawyer whether, and if yes under
> > > > which circumstances, shipping a binary driver written for another OS
> > > > dynamically linked into the Linux kernel would not be a criminal offense.
> > >
> > > Please stop throwing around words like "criminal". If this is in fact
> > > illegal it would be a civil matter.
> >
> > You are living in a country where copyright violations can't bring
> > people into jail?
>
> AFAICS you are misunderstanding the words "criminal" and "civil matter".
>
> AFAIK in german law the difference between the two is that "criminal"
> offences are prosecuted by the government out of their own accord while
> "civil matters" require someone else to sue.
>
> Murder and robbery are criminal offences.
>
> Assuming the above is correct then copyright violations definitely are
> "civil matters" in germany regardless whether you could go into jail or not.

Please read a book or ask someone who knows what he is talking about to
explain the basics of legal systems to you.

> Best,
> Michael

cu
Adrian

--

"Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
"Only a promise," Lao Er said.
Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed