[U-Boot] U-book and GPLv3? (fwd)

Robin Getz
2009-06-29T19:45:30Z

On Mon 29 Jun 2009 14:48, Richard Stallman pondered:
>
> As Mike has stated - we work on many devices who's products would fall
> under the GPL 3's User Products category - who's manufactures have
> told us "No GPL3".
>
> Would you like to describe one such product?

Portable hand held medical devices - such as Glucometers. They fall into both
categories. They are medical devices, who's "bad" software could cause a user
to give them selves too much insulin (hypoglycemia -> pass out -> seizure ->
death), or too little insulin (Hyperglycaemia -> stupor -> coma -> death).
Yeah, death is over the top - as most diabetics understand their body well
enough not recognise the signs much before the pass out stages - but for the
person who isn't familiar with things - it is possible.

They are marketted, and purchased by end consumers (Amazon shows 115 results
in their search), and I would think that would make them fall into the "User
Products".

> All the product types
> discussed so far are outside the category of User Products. The laws
> you cites also seem to apply to things which are not User Products.

I don't think I had any links to laws - only specifications.

Years ago - I helped develop a cloths dryer which needed to pass UL 1998 -
since the cut off switch (open the door, the dryer stops spinning), was a
GPIO on a 8-bit microcontroller...

White goods are as consumer/user products as you can get - all need to pass
some sort of safety spec, when software failures can hurt people.

> They have this right - the right to use the software - or the right to
> choose something else. They have indicated they will exercise this
> right - so far - I believe them.
>
> If a company seeks to restrict users like you and me, I strongly hope
> my software does not help them.

And I think that is great that you feel like that. You have every right to
limit the use of the software you write and support - just like I have that
same right not to feel the same way.

I feel that companies should have the right to choose how to use the software
I develop, as long they give things back, and I can use it on _my_ hardware
(which the GPL2 allows/encourages) - I don't really care what they do on
their hardware. That is their business, not mine.

I hope that you can respect my choice - and not try to convince me or others
that your choices are superior to mine.

-Robin