From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Arvid Brodin Subject: Re: net/hsr: not working : High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSRv0) Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 18:00:52 +0200 Message-ID: <53A1B7B4.8010105@alten.se> References: <5396FD42.1070100@kalkitech.in> <53972641.2070205@alten.se> <539EE434.7050901@kalkitech.in> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Cc: To: Gokul C G , Return-path: Received: from spam1.webland.se ([91.207.112.90]:58111 "EHLO spam1.webland.se" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750977AbaFRQAa (ORCPT ); Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:00:30 -0400 In-Reply-To: <539EE434.7050901@kalkitech.in> Sender: netdev-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 2014-06-16 14:33, Gokul C G wrote: > Hi, >=20 > PRP is protected by a number of patents. Does we need to obtain > license for those to make use of the patented technology and offer a > PRP driver to end customers , if we use linux in embedded platform > ?? I am not a patent expert, nor a lawyer, so I cannot advise you in this = matter. My understanding as a layman is that if there is a valid patent that co= vers the code, then yes, you need to obtain a license to be allowed to offer a p= roduct making use of the technology to end customers. > I could find something like following while googling about HSR/PRP ,=20 > "In order to be compliant with the Linux open source licensing model, > the Linux implementation of the PRP driver is in user space, not > kernel space." I couldn't understand the same !! =46rom a patent perspective, I don't *think* it matters if the implemen= tation is=20 in kernel space or user space; you'd need a license either way. By impl= ementing=20 the driver in user space you don't have to make the source code availab= le under=20 GPL, though. Again, I am not a lawyer, so don't take my word for it. > whether Kernel implementation of HSR is problematic from a legal > point of view (patent violation, see above for PRP) ?? Possibly. The HSRv0 standard cautions about patents regarding PRP (the = PRP=20 duplicate discard algorithm, using a Redundancy Control Trailer) and in= teractions between HSR and PRP nets. HSR does not use a Redundancy Control Trailer= =2E The HSRv1 standard also cautions about patent claims for interconnectin= g HSR nets though QuadBoxes, and additional PRP patents.=20 I have no idea if these claims are valid, and I don't know if these are= the only=20 parts of the standard which may be patent encumbered.=20 =46rom the standard: "ISO (www.iso.org/patents) and IEC (http://patents= =2Eiec.ch)=20 maintain on-line data bases of patents relevant to their standards. Use= rs are=20 encouraged to consult the data bases for the most up to date informatio= n=20 concerning patents." --=20 Arvid Brodin | Consultant (Linux) ALTEN | Knarrarn=E4sgatan 7 | SE-164 40 Kista | Sweden arvid.brodin@alten.se | www.alten.se/en/