[U-Boot] U-book and GPLv3? (fwd)

[Robin Getz]

On Mon 29 Jun 2009 14:48, Richard Stallman pondered:
> 
>     As Mike has stated - we work on many devices who's products would fall
>     under the GPL 3's  User Products  category - who's manufactures have
>     told us "No GPL3".
> 
> Would you like to describe one such product?

Portable hand held medical devices - such as Glucometers. They fall into both 
categories. They are medical devices, who's "bad" software could cause a user 
to give them selves too much insulin (hypoglycemia -> pass out -> seizure -> 
death), or too little insulin (Hyperglycaemia -> stupor -> coma -> death). 
Yeah, death is over the top - as most diabetics understand their body well 
enough not recognise the signs much before the pass out stages - but for the 
person who isn't familiar with things - it is possible.

They are marketted, and purchased by end consumers (Amazon shows 115 results 
in their search), and I would think that would make them fall into the "User 
Products".

> All the product types 
> discussed so far are outside the category of User Products.  The laws
> you cites also seem to apply to things which are not User Products.

I don't think I had any links to laws - only specifications.

Years ago - I helped develop a cloths dryer which needed to pass UL 1998 - 
since the cut off switch (open the door, the dryer stops spinning), was a 
GPIO on a 8-bit microcontroller...

White goods are as consumer/user products as you can get - all need to pass 
some sort of safety spec, when software failures can hurt people.


>      They have this right - the right to use the software - or the right to 
>     choose something else. They have indicated they will exercise this
>     right - so  far - I believe them.
> 
> If a company seeks to restrict users like you and me, I strongly hope
> my software does not help them.

And I think that is great that you feel like that. You have every right to 
limit the use of the software you write and support - just like I have that 
same right not to feel the same way.

I feel that companies should have the right to choose how to use the software 
I develop, as long they give things back, and I can use it on _my_ hardware 
(which the GPL2 allows/encourages) - I don't really care what they do on 
their hardware. That is their business, not mine.

I hope that you can respect my choice - and not try to convince me or others 
that your choices are superior to mine.

-Robin