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

[Michael Poole <mdpoole@troilus.org>]

viro@parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk writes:

> On Wed, Jun 16, 2004 at 03:21:38PM -0500, Joe Wreschnig wrote:
>  
> [firmware as mere aggregation]
>> Kernel copyright holders think otherwise, as do many other people.
>
> Out of curiosity, could you please show an email from such copyright
> holder (with some references to the code in kernel contributed by
> that person) that would say so?
>
> It's not impossible that such a thing exists; however, I've heard the
> quoted statement a *LOT* and so far it always turned out either "FOAF
> heard about that somewhere" or "well, there's got to be at least one!".
>
> Care to show evidence for your statement?  alt.folklore.urban rules,
> please.

A little Google shows that Yggdrasil has made such an argument:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2001/04/msg00130.html

Unfortunately for Mr. Richter, Linux does not seem to contain any
copyright notices attributable to him or Yggdrasil before 2000.  As I
cited elsewhere, this is at least FOUR YEARS after firmware was
included in the kernel, so he cannot fairly claim infringement.  He
should have known that binary firmware existed in the kernel before.

Michael