Re: Legal issues with having Linux use Windows device drivers
On Sun, 20 Sep 1998, Wojciech Zabolotny wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Sep 1998, Paul M. Foster wrote:
> > On Mon, 14 Sep 1998, Geoffrey L. Brimhall wrote:
> > > Aside from the technical issues of having Linux use windows device drivers
> > > (such as the video card drivers), are there any legal reasons why a person
> > > could not use the device drivers written for the MS Windows operating system ?
> >
> > I suspect there *is* a legal issue here. If you buy MS Windows, you
> > install the device drivers on your system as part of the software. (I
> > haven't checked MS's license, but they may have a license like "You can
> > use it, but we still own it.") But the software is still part of the
> > Windows operating system. I don't think you can go out and program your
> > own "Windows clone" operating system and then use a bunch of Windows
> > drivers off their distribution. Microsoft would be understandably irate
> > about this. And even if it wasn't a legal issue, if Microsoft wanted to
> > hassle you about it, you'd be just as beat up as if they'd sued you.
> >
>
> So what about using MS-DOS drivers with FreeDos (http://www.freedos.org)?
>
Same answer. If you bought a copy of Windows and you use the drivers off
*that* copy of Windows somewhere (anywhere), you're probably covered. On
the other hand, if you make multiple copies of those drivers and ship them
with your new nifty-cosmic all-in-one operating system you just
programmed, now you're in trouble.
<BUTT-COVERING>
Of course, since I'm not a lawyer, I could be all wrong.
</BUTT-COVERING>
Paul M. Foster
Reply to: