Re: Proposal - Defer discussion about SC and firmware until after the Etch release

[Sven Luther <sven.luther@wanadoo.fr>]

On Mon, Sep 18, 2006 at 10:09:14AM -0400, Nathanael Nerode wrote:
> I think you're wrong here, unless you're using an unusual definition
> of "distributable".  The usual definition used by debian-legal is "We have
> explicit legal permission to distribute it."  If you were right, we wouldn't 
> have 46 undistributable files in Debian's Linux kernel packages today.
> 
> Should Debian release with those files (again)?  This is a very, very
> important question.  Currently Debian is on track to release with 46
> undistributable files.

Indeed, but then, there are few issues to consider about this :

  - in some cases, like the acenic driver, the original copyright hholder as
    well as the current copyright information is lost forever in some box
    during one of the mergers. Likelihood of someone actually showing up and
    saying this code belongs to them, and they can clarify the licencing, or
    sue us, is very very small.

  - in other cases, the original author is distibuting this sourceless
    material themselves under the GPL, clearly a mistake or omission, which
    they would be happy to fix, as the broadcom and qlogic case have shown.

Friendly,

Sven Luther