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

Bron Gondwana
2007-06-16T02:16:42Z

On Fri, Jun 15, 2007 at 04:26:34PM -0300, Alexandre Oliva wrote:
> On Jun 15, 2007, Bron Gondwana <brong@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
> > What happens if you're debugging something you think is a bug in the
> > Linux kernel and then you run bang into some interactions that make you
> > think the bug might be in the BIOS instead.
>
> > have denied your freedom to modify and debug the system they sold you
>
> If the bug is in the non-GPLed BIOS, not in the GPLed code, too bad.
> One more reason to dislike non-Free Software.

If the bug is in the non-GPLed binary module, not in the GPLed code, too
bad. One more reason to dislike non-Free Software.

It's the same argument from the other direction. The BIOS is linked
(inside the machine, sure) to the kernel for all intents and purposes
through a defined interface. This doesn't affect the BIOS developers
who ship me a machine on to which I then install Linux, but it _does_
affect a hardware vendor who ships me a system with Linux pre-installed,
because it could easily be argued that they linked the BIOS with the
Linux kernel and hence produced a combined work (remember, they reserve
the right to modify the BIOS, but don't give that that right to me) and
the BIOS should now come under the GPL.

Talk about your chilling effects. It's a strong reason for vendors not
to ship GPL3 or GPL2[your interpretation] code pre-installed while the
legal boundaries of work combination are in any way grey.

Regards,

Bron.