On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 09:36:08AM +0100, Mauro Mozzarelli wrote: > If there is a minority who is unable to use parts of this software,
Worth considering: do we know for sure that it's a minority? And is it even relevant whether it is a minority or a majority, as long as we know that some developers and some users do live or work in jurisdictions where software patents are litigiously upheld? > we can make it easy for that minority to be able to strip those > software components (or they can propose and implement changes that > achieve that themselves), but in no way limit or prevent everyone from > making use of it. IIUC, you are suggesting the creation of a new package repository through which OpenWRT devs who are based in countries (e.g. EU countries) that don't uphold software patents could distribute patent-encumbered software. Users would then be able to decide whether or not to enable that repo. This would be a *little* like Debian's "non-free" repository, insofar as it separates some packages into a different repository than usual (Debian's default repo is called "main") based on their legal status: https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-archive#s-non-free . I emphasised "little" in the previous sentence because Debian's non-free repo was based on copyright (not patents), whereas your proposal AIUI is based on patents (not copyright). See, e.g.: On Mon, Jul 11, 2005 at 11:10:57AM +0100, Daniel James wrote: > [..] As a short-term measure, I suggest that the xmms package in > Debian is split into xmms and xmms-mpg123 with the latter package > moving to non-free. I have cc'd the maintainers of the xmms > package in Debian. This is generally not regarded as an appropriate use of non-free; patent-encumbered works cause problems whether they're shipped in non-free or in main. [..] Steve Langasek Source: https://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/07/msg00082.html To me, as an OpenWRT user, your proposal seems reasonable, but IANAL. It would seem wise for OpenWRT devs to seek advice on the proposal, from SPI and/or SFC. Best wishes, Sam -- A: When it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: When is top-posting a bad thing? () ASCII ribbon campaign. Please avoid HTML emails & proprietary /\ file formats. (Why? See e.g. https://v.gd/jrmGbS ). Thank you. _______________________________________________ openwrt-devel mailing list openwrt-devel@lists.openwrt.org https://lists.openwrt.org/mailman/listinfo/openwrt-devel
