From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 22 Aug 2002 08:06:12 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 22 Aug 2002 08:06:12 -0400 Received: from tmr-02.dsl.thebiz.net ([216.238.38.204]:22788 "EHLO gatekeeper.tmr.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Thu, 22 Aug 2002 08:06:11 -0400 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Path: gatekeeper.tmr.com!davidsen From: davidsen@tmr.com (bill davidsen) Newsgroups: mail.linux-kernel Subject: Re: large page patch (fwd) (fwd) Date: 22 Aug 2002 12:03:55 GMT Organization: TMR Associates, Schenectady NY Message-ID: References: X-Trace: gatekeeper.tmr.com 1030017835 6193 192.168.12.62 (22 Aug 2002 12:03:55 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@tmr.com Originator: davidsen@gatekeeper.tmr.com Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In article , Rik van Riel wrote: | Suppose somebody sends you a patch which implements a nice | algorithm that just happens to be patented by that same | somebody. You don't know about the patent. | | You integrate the patch into the kernel and distribute it, | one year later you get sued by the original contributor of | that patch because you distribute code that is patented by | that person. | | Not having some protection in the license could open you | up to sneaky after-the-fact problems. | | Having a license that explicitly states that people who | contribute and use Linux shouldn't sue you over it might | prevent some problems. Unlikely as this is, since offering the patch would probably be (eventually) interpreted as giving you the right to use it under GPL, I think this is a valid concern. Maybe some lawyer could add the required words and it could become the LFSL v1.0 (Linux Free Software License). Although FSF would probably buy into a change if the alternative was creation of a Linux license. There are people there who are in touch with reality. -- bill davidsen CTO, TMR Associates, Inc Doing interesting things with little computers since 1979.