From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S965650AbXCBVSl (ORCPT ); Fri, 2 Mar 2007 16:18:41 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S965652AbXCBVSk (ORCPT ); Fri, 2 Mar 2007 16:18:40 -0500 Received: from mail1.webmaster.com ([216.152.64.169]:1726 "EHLO mail1.webmaster.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S965650AbXCBVSk (ORCPT ); Fri, 2 Mar 2007 16:18:40 -0500 Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:18:09 -0800 From: "David Schwartz" To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: License violation? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Message-ID: X-Mailer: WorldClient 8.1.3 In-Reply-To: <45E76C16.1030706@gmail.com> References: <45E76C16.1030706@gmail.com> X-Authenticated-Sender: joelkatz@webmaster.com X-Spam-Processed: mail1.webmaster.com, Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:18:10 -0800 (not processed: message from trusted or authenticated source) X-MDRemoteIP: 216.152.64.169 X-Return-Path: davids@webmaster.com X-MDaemon-Deliver-To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Reply-To: davids@webmaster.com X-MDAV-Processed: mail1.webmaster.com, Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:18:11 -0800 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > I have a GPL driver (written by me) with workarounds, since I hadn't > know-how, > when I wrote it. Now I've got 2.4 proprietary driver from the vendor. > Is use of > the 2.4 driver know-how OK? (And could be such driver merged?) Unless you made some kind of agreement with the copyright holder or did not lawfully acquire the software, you have every right to study it and learn from it. You have every right to use your own knowledge to implement a driver any way you want. What you can't do, of course, is steal protected expression from the driver. Function is not protected. Facts are not protected. DS