[U-Boot-Users] License issues with Xilinx provided files

Wolfgang Denk wd at denx.de
Tue May 9 00:19:29 CEST 2006


Dear Peter,

it has been brought to my attention that there are a couple of Xilinx
priovided files in the U-Boot tree which are not compatible with  the
GPL.

These files are (at least):

board/xilinx/common/xipif_v1_23_b.c
board/xilinx/common/xipif_v1_23_b.h
board/xilinx/xilinx_iic/xiic_l.c
board/xilinx/xilinx_iic/xiic_l.h
include/asm-microblaze/arch-microblaze/xuartlite_l.h

The problem with these files is especially  this  part  in  the  file
header:

	XILINX IS PROVIDING THIS DESIGN, CODE, OR INFORMATION "AS IS"
	AS A COURTESY TO YOU, SOLELY FOR USE IN DEVELOPING PROGRAMS AND
	                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	SOLUTIONS FOR XILINX DEVICES.  BY PROVIDING THIS DESIGN, CODE,
	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	...

We cannot take this  lightly,  as  in  other  files,  Xilinx  uses  a
different clause:

	This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
	under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
	Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
	option) any later version.

	XILINX IS PROVIDING THIS DESIGN, CODE, OR INFORMATION "AS IS" AS A
	COURTESY TO YOU. BY PROVIDING THIS DESIGN, CODE, OR INFORMATION AS
	...

It is obvious, that the second file is intended to  be  GPLed,  while
the first one is not.


Do you see a way to submit new versions of the  aforementioned  files
with  a GPL compatible license header? If not, I have no other option
but to remove these files from the U-Boot source tree.


Please note that this also means that copies of the U-Boot code which
include these files like those distributed by Xilinx (for example, as
http://www.xilinx.com/bvdocs/appnotes/xapp542.zip) violate  the  GPL,
and I must ask you to stop distributing these files.


Thanks.


Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
Software Engineering:  Embedded and Realtime Systems,  Embedded Linux
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.




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