From patchwork Thu May 14 17:56:00 2015 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Patchwork-Submitter: "Luis R. Rodriguez" X-Patchwork-Id: 6409111 X-Patchwork-Delegate: kvalo@adurom.com Return-Path: X-Original-To: patchwork-linux-wireless@patchwork.kernel.org Delivered-To: patchwork-parsemail@patchwork1.web.kernel.org Received: from mail.kernel.org (mail.kernel.org [198.145.29.136]) by patchwork1.web.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6568F9F318 for ; Thu, 14 May 2015 17:58:50 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail.kernel.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7A6B320320 for ; Thu, 14 May 2015 17:58:49 +0000 (UTC) Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [209.132.180.67]) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6DDFC202FE for ; Thu, 14 May 2015 17:58:48 +0000 (UTC) Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1030271AbbENR6Z (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 May 2015 13:58:25 -0400 Received: from mail-pa0-f52.google.com ([209.85.220.52]:33083 "EHLO mail-pa0-f52.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1030225AbbENR6Y (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 May 2015 13:58:24 -0400 Received: by pacwv17 with SMTP id wv17so93149419pac.0; Thu, 14 May 2015 10:58:23 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=sender:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id; bh=KO4uyL+Gte0WrTS6ZvbLSVLNOvwR4XXBDCrGQ6f9oZg=; b=xGF9/uLZmzwNTwVaQJu5DTrlqOM7mEaL/wwd1TmD27vlUiAr9MflEInnfEWpeUDof/ 7sNRBm8yRKoj/Fdi7E3VWO4Wj3khIT8fdgi+7NR6/ycNKCYtdF+gDv5KZx3SdhZLVqsE OvkCKnD7W6lAO9GhN0cJ4mlPmETT1dXYCTw70eBOQddac2tDKO4nW2OJKBPm6rK63Yqj r6AHLyOwUk4xhPj0BrPzWNXEAeyfAzrsg9EWnHUUcz3kA1vGW6ZbK83SBuEi4Q0WOpUt +rl8f6AMyOPV/htlQjhK9Noy1LKFjYb2fSnonHXSNT42zm8GnJSb9eMKjPZDxq7IREMv sDSw== X-Received: by 10.70.103.45 with SMTP id ft13mr10149371pdb.149.1431626303450; Thu, 14 May 2015 10:58:23 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mcgrof@gmail.com (c-98-234-145-61.hsd1.ca.comcast.net. [98.234.145.61]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPSA id om4sm23030268pdb.68.2015.05.14.10.58.20 (version=TLSv1 cipher=RC4-SHA bits=128/128); Thu, 14 May 2015 10:58:21 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mcgrof@gmail.com (sSMTP sendmail emulation); Thu, 14 May 2015 10:56:12 -0700 From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" To: kyle@kernel.org, linux-firmware@kernel.org Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, gnomes@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk, "Luis R. Rodriguez" Subject: [PATCH resend] README: clarify redistribution requirements covering patents Date: Thu, 14 May 2015 10:56:00 -0700 Message-Id: <1431626160-10885-1-git-send-email-mcgrof@do-not-panic.com> X-Mailer: git-send-email 2.1.0 Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org X-Spam-Status: No, score=-6.8 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,DKIM_SIGNED, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_HI,T_DKIM_INVALID,T_RP_MATCHES_RCVD,UNPARSEABLE_RELAY autolearn=unavailable version=3.3.1 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on mail.kernel.org X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV using ClamSMTP From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Firmware licenses on linux-firmware should include an implicit or explicit patent grant to end users for full device operation otherwise it would start making linux-firmware useless for many Linux distributions which have positions against patent encumbered software [0] [1] [2] and it would mean cherry picking firmware files out. It can also mean making it problematic to redistribute linux-firmware in some jurisdictions which could have different positions on patents, or have already outlawed software patents. Licenses with implicit patent grants are allowed given that otherwise we couldn't carry permissively licensed firmwares which would be silly, but using permissively licensed firmware files which remove patent grants explicitly are not allowed. A clarifications is needed as one attempt was already made to include firmware encumbered by patents without a grant [3] and it was decided we would not allow these. We clarify this to make this requirement explicit and prevent these type of further attempts. [0] https://www.debian.org/legal/patent [1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Software_Patents#Red_Hat.27s_position_on_Software_Patents [2] http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about-us/ [3] https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/3/14/182 Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez --- This patch is unmodified, the discussion over it was brief [0] but I didn't hear back from Alan on this. Sending again now that we have a new active linux-firmware maintainer. [0] https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/6/27/448 README | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/README b/README index f2ed92e..d2a56ec 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ and also cc: to related mailing lists. Your commit should include an update to the WHENCE file clearly identifying the licence under which the firmware is available, and -that it is redistributable. If the licence is long and involved, it's +that it is redistributable. Being redistributable includes ensuring +the firmware license provided includes an implicit or explicit +patent grant to end users to ensure full functionality of device +operation with the firmware. If the licence is long and involved, it's permitted to include it in a separate file and refer to it from the WHENCE file. And if it were possible, a changelog of the firmware itself.