RE: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause?

Maciej Zenczykowski
2003-12-05T13:49:40Z

> > My personal view is that Linux should mandate GPL for all modules
> > in 2.6 and
> > beyond.
>
> I'm baffled how you think this is a choice that can be made. The license is
> the GPL itself and even the Linux kernel developers have no power to change
> it.

I'm not so sure about that. If Linus and a few core developers decide to
explicitly state that you can't use the Linux kernel with binary only
modules than you can't. They have the right under copyright to restrict
the usage of their contributions - if this means that they say "you can't
use our contributions to the kernel with any binary only ring 0 code" -
then you can't. And it is totally irrelevant whether your work is derived
or not. They can't force you to release your work as GPL - but they can
forbid you to utilise the linux kernel with non-GPL'ed work - which in the
end is quite close.

Or am I totally wrong here?

Cheers,
MaZe.