Re: License go no go?

From: Crispin Cowan (crispinat_private)
Date: Fri Oct 25 2002 - 23:09:21 PDT

  • Next message: Greg KH: "Re: License go no go?"

    Dragan Stancevic wrote:
    
    >I was wondering about the licensing issues with using the LSM. I am porting an 
    >intrusion detection software from Solaris to Linux and writing a LSM module 
    >would save a lot of time. It's a great framework.
    >
    >I read Linus' emails about it on l-k but it just confused me more since I 
    >don't think he fully answered the questions that some people had.
    >
    I agree: Linus did not fully answer the question of whether proprietary 
    LSM modules are possible. However, even if Linus did answer the 
    question, his answer might not be authoritative. My humble opinion:
    
        * If you patch the Linux kernel directly, it is inescapable: your
          patch is GPL'd code.
        * If you provide an LSM module, you *might* be able to get away with
          keeping the module proprietary. Emphasis on "might"; this is
          highly controversial, and there are those among the authors of the
          Linux kernel who passionately believe that all LSM modules are
          derived works of the Linux kernel, and thus subject to its GPL
          license.
    
    BIG Caveat: I am not a lawyer, and my opinion here *certainly* is not 
    authoritative. If you plan to ship a proprietary module, you do so at 
    your own risk, and you had best get your own IP lawyer.
    
    Crispin
    
    -- 
    Crispin Cowan, Ph.D.
    Chief Scientist, WireX                      http://wirex.com/~crispin/
    Security Hardened Linux Distribution:       http://immunix.org
    Available for purchase: http://wirex.com/Products/Immunix/purchase.html
    
    
    
    

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