On Friday 16 March 2007 18:17, Ray Henry wrote:
> I suggest that we let Paul do the audit and we keep working on
> abilities.

Buck. Passing ?

On Friday 16 March 2007 18:44, Matthew Glenn Shaver wrote:
> > src/hal/drivers/pluto_servo_firmware/pluto_servo.qsf
> GPL - Header at the top of the file.

Well, I guess the Altera lawyers could have a field day with that...
CVS history says one thing for the original commit, six months later, 
something else.

On Friday 16 March 2007 19:19, Chris Radek wrote:
> It's clear that opinions about this vary. Putting non-Free code into
> our source tree would be a departure from current practice and would
> require the board of directors to discuss and vote on it.  If the time
> comes, we'll have that vote.

Um.. NO. The board had a clear mandate to oversee moves towards GPL. To change 
on a whim without consultation with ALL previous contributors is wrong. 
Segregating non-compliant code in a separate module and distributed with 
clear warnings would be a reasonable compromise.

> Until then, I think, it's not very 
> interesting to argue about it, and I agree with Ray that since Paul is
> doing this audit work for us,

So once again you seek to abdicate your responsibilities. Since you guys 
decided to run a fork outside of Sourceforge, without discussion or 
consultation, anyone choosing not to follow gets branded an "ex developer".
No. Do your own damned audits and stop shirking your obligations as a "board 
member".

On Friday 16 March 2007 20:05, Gene Heskett wrote:
> Does it not bother you that whomever does own the copyrights on the files
> Paul listed, could decide to issue a C&D letter based on a percieved
> copyright violation?

Exactly Gene, and with the US legal system being what it is, even if damages 
are not sought, the legal bills could be crippling.

> Ditto if somehow a patent gets involved.  Either way, its conceivable that
> someone could be awarded outlandish damages against a project that
> basicly has no funds from sales to pay them.

Thankfully, software patents are not enforceable over here, but copyrights may 
well be.

On Friday 16 March 2007 23:43, Steve Stallings wrote:
> > And from Section 1 of the Xilinx ISE EULA:
> >         (c) Restriction.  No right is granted hereunder to use
> > the Software to program or develop designs for non-XILINX devices.
> >
> > Which imposes conflicting restrictions on any firmware blobs
> > generated from GPL HDL sources.

> There are not any non-Xilinx devices that can utilize the "firmware
> blobs" generated by the Xilinx ISE from the GPL HDL sources, so this
> is meaningless.

So Joe develops & tests on a Hollybush board using ISE, perhaps unwittingly 
incorporating some Xilinx IP, and then Bob uses the same files to compile for 
an Altera Cyclone chip (with perhaps a small change to one file) - Perhaps 
using GHDL to synthesise the design - Far from being "meaningless", it opens 
up a whole new minefield. A warning notice for the end user advising that 
there may be a conflict of interest would be prudent.


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