Re: GPLv3 Position Statement

Gene Heskett
2006-09-25T21:15:28Z

On Monday 25 September 2006 15:46, Jeff Garzik wrote:
>Neil Brown wrote:
>> But maybe I am just misinformed. Maybe there are dozens of different
>> manufacturers making devices that use DRM to prohibit freedom despite
>> using GPL code, and maybe there are hundreds of submarine patents
>> owned by distributors of GPL code and embodied in that code that the
>> owners are going to start suing us overs.... Is there a list of these
>> somewhere?
>
>At least for patents, lawyers scream bloody murder if a list of patents
>is posted. Once that is done, people can no longer claim ignorance of a
>patent.

Thats their problem, they created this mess in the first place. I can
recall buying, years ago, things whose makers label devoted more text area
to listing the applicable patents either pending or granted on the device
the label was attached to than was devoted to the makers logo itself. Now
it probably takes whole pages of 4 pt pica text with the patent
proliferation ad adsurdium thats taken place in the last 40 years... Bah.
All created to make sure the legal profession never starves.

>>> What is the stance of the developer team / kernel maintainers on DRM,
>>
>> While I cannot speak for other developers (and sometimes have trouble
>> speaking for myself), one stance I have often heard is that DRM is
>> simply a tool - one that is largely based on cryptography which is
>> just another tool. They can have good uses and bad uses just like the
>> TCP/IP stack (think 'spam'). So code to implement then would (if of
>> suitable quality) be allowed into the kernel. If you want to make DRM
>> illegal, speak to your member-of-parliament, not your code developers.
>
>This is a KEY POINT: There can be good DRM as well as bad DRM.
>
> Jeff
>
>
>-
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--
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
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Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.