On Wed, Jan 11, 2006 at 03:06:32PM -0600, Bill Allombert wrote: > > I have argued previously (on debian-legal and elsewhere) that for some types > > of works, such as icons, fonts, and documentation, "source code" is not > > important to the modifiability of a work in the same way that it is to > > programs. There are many cases in which the original source form used by > > the author is *not* the preferred form of modification for the creation of > > new derivative works, and it seems to me that the DFSG silently acknowledges > > this reality by speaking about "programs" (not the ambiguous "software") > > directly in DFSG #2. But of all the forms of software that we distribute > > which aren't normally considered "programs", firmware is certainly the most > > program-like. > > I believe the problem currently before us is, therefore, to decide whether > > we as a project consider firmware to be "programs" for the purposes of DFSG > > compliance. I am disposed to accept that they are not, but I'm not > > comfortable making this decision on behalf of the project ex cathedra as an > > RM. Instead, my plan had been to, over the next month or two, review the > > past discussions of this point, talk the issue over with various folks, and > > propose a GR that would clarify this interpretation of the DFSG where > > firmware is concerned. If the "discussion" part is starting now, so much > > the better. > As far as firmware are concerned, firmware licenses tend to be > restrictive in various way, but usually they at least do not allow > to distribute modified version. At least this was the case when I > investigated the Linux 2.4.25 kernel [1], so unless things have changed, > the proposed GR will have no effect on most firmwares. The actual > licensing terms of the 'relevant' 2.6 firmware need be investigated. Sure; I'm not comfortable with the idea of granting (open-ended) license exceptions of this kind, so given that we know at least some firmware is made available under restrictive licenses I think we need to be working on appropriate infrastructure for supporting them, regardless of possible GRs. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. vorlon@debian.org http://www.debian.org/
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