From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S264240AbTLUXN5 (ORCPT ); Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:13:57 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S264255AbTLUXN4 (ORCPT ); Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:13:56 -0500 Received: from hermine.idb.hist.no ([158.38.50.15]:50954 "HELO hermine.idb.hist.no") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S264240AbTLUXNz (ORCPT ); Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:13:55 -0500 Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 00:25:12 +0100 To: Stan Bubrouski Cc: linux-kernel mailing list Subject: Re: [OT] use of patented algorithms in the kernel ok or not? Message-ID: <20031221232512.GA20779@hh.idb.hist.no> References: <1072018574.5225.5.camel@laptop.fenrus.com> <1072035217.1286.123.camel@duergar> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <1072035217.1286.123.camel@duergar> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i From: Helge Hafting Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Sun, Dec 21, 2003 at 02:33:38PM -0500, Stan Bubrouski wrote: > > What about the legal ramifications in the US of distributing code using > an algorithm that is covered by a patent without permission. What are > we gonna just not distribute the kernel in the US at all? Cause that's > the only way to safely do what you all keep blathering about without a > license. By putting the code in the kernel you are putting us in the US > at risk, someone could argue you are giving people a means to violate a > patent in the US...not something you want to be doing! > Hard to say, but consider this: Something patented is _not_ a secret, and therefore not a trade secret. Anything patented can be looked up in the patent databases by anybody. So there cannot be any problem with distributing this patented knowledge. Using it is another matter, but it is up to the user not to disable CONFIG_USA within us jurisdiction. Helge Hafting