Re: Mass bug filing: Cryptographic protection against modification
Herbert Xu dijo [Tue, May 04, 2004 at 08:11:03PM +1000]:
> > Presumably the licenses[1] of these works allows modified works,
> > derived works, and distribution of said works. If it does, there is no
> > DFSG ?3 violation.
>
> I'm not sure that it is as simple as that.
>
> Consider the hypothetical case of a piece of firmware for a peripheral
> device that is protected by a cryptographic signature such that the
> device will reject anything that is not signed using a specific key.
>
> Let's further assume that that the said firmware is distributed with
> full source (but without the private key used to make the signature)
> and a license saying that you can do whatever you wish with it.
>
> Do you consider this piece of firmware to be distributable in Debian main?
>
> Substitute firmware with software for Digital Rights Management.
We must not care about the device. We do not distribute the device -
We distribute the software. Say it is the firmware for translating
Postscript into the right commands for your printer's head - The
software is free. I can design a new printer and use that same
firmware (in original or modified form) freely, even if it is of no
use for the original device.
Greetings,
--
Gunnar Wolf - gwolf@gwolf.cx - (+52-55)5630-9700 ext. 1366
PGP key 1024D/8BB527AF 2001-10-23
Fingerprint: 0C79 D2D1 2C4E 9CE4 5973 F800 D80E F35A 8BB5 27AF
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