Timothy Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I don't know how worried I am about FPGA-based products. I think it > could be a problem, now that you mention it. What if someone were > to produce a product to compete with the prototype board (perfectly > alright for them to do that) with the express intent to allow users > to use the OGP codebase on this competing product (something that > could cost us a lot of sales). > > If someone else wants to make a similar card, that's fine, but the > instant they start advertizing or telling customers that it's "great > for using the OGP design" on it, I'll start to get very annoyed. > This would be an end-run around our attempt to limit commercializing > it by not including the IP but encouraging users to download and > load it themselves. Happening to be compatible and out-right > encouraging it are two different things.
First off, let me say that I understand the predicament you're in -- I'd like to assure everyone that it's much, _much_ harder to detect copying of an RTL source than of software code. OTOH, if I was in your position I wouldn't actually be particularly bothered by a competitor making an FPGA card and marketing it as "Optimised for OGP" or whatever. Basically, my rational is thus: 1. They hope to sell cards thanks to OGP 2. If they kill off OGP, the sort of people who would have bought cards, won't 3. So even if they put OGP out of business selling _hardware_ they'd probably be amenable to making substantial contributions to the project or just buying the OGP team out and giving them jobs -- in which case having GPL'd the RTL would be a _good_ thing from the POV of the community Just my �0.02 worth. Peter -- E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.peter-b.co.uk v2sw6YShw7ln5pr6ck3ma8u7Lw3+2m0l7CFi6e4+8t4Eb8Aen4g6Pa2Xs5MSr5p4 hackerkey.com _______________________________________________ Open-graphics mailing list [email protected] http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com)
