On Thu, Dec 11, 2003 at 06:47:10PM -0800, David Chamberlin wrote: > Does anyone know if it is possible to develop a binary distribution of a > sane back-end that uses a proprietary protocols and to distribute this > back-end with sane-backends? > Can manufacturers that make only binary back-ends advertise "Supported by > Sane" or "Runs on Linux"?
Hi, There is no *technical* reason why this wouldn't be possible, so the only consideration would be legalities. My reading of the SANE exception to the GPL is that this is a reasonable thing to do (although most developers would not personally approve). However, the SANE exception is more drafted with binary-only frontends (such as vuescan) in mind. If in doubt get a lawyer to check over it. Epson already release a SANE-based binary frontend/backend pair: http://www.epkowa.co.jp/english/linux_e/index.html Cheers, - Matthew Duggan
