From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261744AbUBEGgr (ORCPT ); Thu, 5 Feb 2004 01:36:47 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S263637AbUBEGgr (ORCPT ); Thu, 5 Feb 2004 01:36:47 -0500 Received: from science.horizon.com ([192.35.100.1]:57139 "HELO science.horizon.com") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S261744AbUBEGgp (ORCPT ); Thu, 5 Feb 2004 01:36:45 -0500 Date: 5 Feb 2004 06:36:44 -0000 Message-ID: <20040205063644.24593.qmail@science.horizon.com> From: linux@horizon.com To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [PATCH 2.6.1 -- take two] Add CRC32C chksums to crypto and lib rout Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > Hard to guess what the author's intent was as he left no license, but > perhaps you're right. However, public domain works are routinely > relicensed by publishers when they make a trivially derived work, see > any reprint of Shakespeare or Bach. The author's intent was that the code is too damn trivial to start making big important legal claims about. If you are so easily impressed that it seems like a major contribution to western literature[*], you can sprinkle it with copyrighted holy penguin pee and add an appropriate consecration notice. (I.e. make trivial changes and assert copyright over the changes.) The disclaimer is not an attempt at a contract, but was intended as a simple reminder of facts that should be obvious anyway. If you think it's pointless, feel free to delete it. That's what "public domain" means. It was inspired by distant memories of the very worthwhile InterSlip license agreement, http://www.outercon.com/interslip.html (I had a nice conversation with the lawyer that wrote it many years ago, and she wanted to show that something could be funny and legally binding at the same time.) If MODULE_LICENSE can't cope with "Public domain", the that seems to be a bug in MODULE_LICENSE, not grounds for a legalese workaround. But whatever. [*] You won't be completely alone; some people seem to think that has significant artistic merit, but personally I'm afraid that sharing that opinion would spread some horrible disease.