On Sun, Jan 06, 2008 at 01:09:42PM -0500, Richard Stallman wrote: > > > - vendor A sells hardware that requires a firmware > > > > > > - OpenBSD wants to support that hardware and needs the firmware > > > to be shipped, say in /etc/firmware/, to have the > > > hardware work out of the box > > > > > > - vendor A says "if a customer wants the firmware, he must go > > > to out website and fill a registration form online". > > > > > > - OpenBSD does not ship the firmware because it is not free > > > enough. > > In that case, it would be illegal for you to distribute the firmware, > so naturally you don't. No argument there. > > But what about the different case where the company permits > redistribution of the binary firmware, but does not release source > code. Would OpenBSD distribute the firmware in that case?
Of course and going by your description it is nothing but hardware at that point so there is no ethics violation (whatever that means since you refuse to explain it). It is just like micro code and a circuit.
