Re: How long is it acceptable to leave *undistributable* files in the kernel package?

[Matthias Urlichs <smurf@smurf.noris.de>]

Hi, Andrew Suffield wrote:

>> They can believe what they want. But for legal relevance they have
>> to show how exactly the firmware was derived from the rest of the
>> code (or vice versa). If they can't, it is merely a collection of
>> works.
> 
> Don't be absurd. Any resulting binary is obviously derived from both.

It's obvious only because the GPL defines it to be. Just putting things in
a box and wiring them together does not per se infringe on any copyrights;
otherwise, anybody who sells a Linux machine with a BIOS in it would be
equally infringing.

Anyway, there's an obvious solution to this problem these days.

Please (if possible) submit patches to convert drivers to the
firmware loading interface instead of ripping them out. Thanks.

-- 
Matthias Urlichs