Re: Binary firmware in the kernel - licensing issues.

[Alan Cox]

On Iau, 2003-05-08 at 10:44, Simon Kelley wrote:
> 4) The same hardware and firmware is unambiguously OK if the firmware
>     is held in flash rather than initialised by the host.

That actually makes a difference because of who shipped it and how it
was shipped I am told 

> 1) The GPL is unclear on this point.
> 2) The intention of the GPL is to allow redistribution only
>     with source.
> 3) Some contributors to the kernel might want their work distributed
>     only with all source, including firmware source. These people
>     would contend that their copyright had been violated and would
>     feel aggrieved or sue for lots of money.

4) Debian and in future some other vendors may well rip out all binary 
firmware files.