On Wed, 13 Dec 2006, Oron Peled wrote:
On Wednesday, 13 בDecember 2006 21:51, Peter wrote:
Speaking of sheduler, RTLinux took out some patents on just such a
sheduler and restricted RTLinux distribution based on that
....
This is 'solved' in that the RTLinux code is dual licensed.
You mixed patents with copyrights. RTLinux code is pure GPL, the
specific patents are dually licensed. FSMLabs (RTLinux creators)
gave an automatic non-revocable patent license to GPL'ed code
(so it won't infringe on the GPL). Other companies that try
to use the patented techniques in non-GPL code (e.g: in non-Linux
kernels) need to negotiate a *patent* license.
Let's clarify this: I mixed and am mixing and will be mixing copyrights,
licenses and patents because they are aspects and results of the same
system. The set of these affects open source development and a cost can
be assigned to it. As the guy who would get to pay the lawyer in case of
oops, I have no intention to do his job. There is no difference which
part of what is used how, the end effect matters. Not being a lawyer I
would ask a lawyer about the details when the time comes. I prefer to be
blissfully ignorant of these matters. The little I know so far gives me
headaches as is. If I need a degree in law to write open source software
in my spare time then I should move somewhere where this is not
necessary. The problem is that, as it happened to Jon in Norway, and to
others more recently when visiting the states, being ignorant of the
laws of another country can be dangerous.
Peter
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