README: clarify redistribution requirements covering patents

Firmware licenses on linux-firmware should include an implicit or explicit patent grant to end users for full device operation otherwise it would start making linux-firmware useless for many Linux distributions which have positions against patent encumbered software [0] [1] [2] and it would mean cherry picking firmware files out. It can also mean making it problematic to redistribute linux-firmware in some jurisdictions which could have different positions on patents, or have already outlawed software patents. Licenses with implicit patent grants are allowed given that otherwise we couldn't carry permissively licensed firmwares which would be silly, but using permissively licensed firmware files which remove patent grants explicitly are not allowed. A clarifications is needed as one attempt was already made to include firmware encumbered by patents without a grant [3] and it was decided we would not allow these. We clarify this to make this requirement explicit and prevent these type of further attempts. [0] https://www.debian.org/legal/patent [1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Software_Patents#Red_Hat.27s_position_on_Software_Patents [2] http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about-us/ [3] https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/3/14/182 Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez <mcgrof@suse.com> Signed-off-by: Kyle McMartin <kyle@kernel.org>

README: clarify redistribution requirements covering patents
Firmware licenses on linux-firmware should include an implicit or explicit patent grant to end users for full device operation otherwise it would start making linux-firmware useless for many Linux distributions which have positions against patent encumbered software [0] [1] [2] and it would mean cherry picking firmware files out. It can also mean making it problematic to redistribute linux-firmware in some jurisdictions which could have different positions on patents, or have already outlawed software patents. Licenses with implicit patent grants are allowed given that otherwise we couldn't carry permissively licensed firmwares which would be silly, but using permissively licensed firmware files which remove patent grants explicitly are not allowed. A clarifications is needed as one attempt was already made to include firmware encumbered by patents without a grant [3] and it was decided we would not allow these. We clarify this to make this requirement explicit and prevent these type of further attempts. [0] https://www.debian.org/legal/patent [1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Software_Patents#Red_Hat.27s_position_on_Software_Patents [2] http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about-us/ [3] https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/3/14/182 Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez <mcgrof@suse.com> Signed-off-by: Kyle McMartin <kyle@kernel.org>
d3cf09a9 · Luis R. Rodriguez · Kyle McMartin · 6f7e8cce · d3cf09a9
Commit d3cf09a9 authored May 19, 2015 by Luis R. Rodriguez Committed by Kyle McMartin Jul 14, 2015
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@ diff or preferably a git pull request to:
 and also cc: to related mailing lists.

 Your commit should include an update to the WHENCE file clearly
-identifying the licence under which the firmware is available, and
-that it is redistributable. If the licence is long and involved, it's
+identifying the license under which the firmware is available, and
+that it is redistributable. Being redistributable includes ensuring
+the firmware license provided includes an implicit or explicit
+patent grant to end users to ensure full functionality of device
+operation with the firmware. If the license is long and involved, it's
 permitted to include it in a separate file and refer to it from the
 WHENCE file.
 And if it were possible, a changelog of the firmware itself.