Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?

Chris Friesen
2003-12-10T17:27:11Z

Linus Torvalds wrote:

> But also note how it's only the BINARY MODULE that is a derived work. Your
> source code is _not_ necessarily a derived work, and if you compile it for
> another operating system, I'd clearly not complain.
>
> This is the "stand-alone short story" vs "extra chapter without meaning
> outside the book" argument. See? One is a work in its own right, the other
> isn't.

We currently have a situation where an external company supplies us with
a device driver containing a binary blob that was explicitly written as
OS-agnostic, and a shim that is gpl'd (at least the linux shim is) to
get the appropriate os-specific services. I guess this would fall under
the "not made just for linux" category in which you've placed the Nvidia
driver?

Carrying on your analogy, this could be a generic love scene, with
blanks in which to insert the character's names and location.

Chris

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