[U-Boot] [question about using the same code in non-free programs]

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Dongil Park,

In message <AANLkTinUT3coZBBrbitz=yqwCaFacz8_mts8a61+eCeg at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
>
> I wonder if i port this protocol into u-boot, does it affect to our programs
> which already in Market?

It only depends on the license terms you select.

> *To release a non-free program is always ethically tainted, but legally
> there is no obstacle to your doing this. If you are the copyright holder for
> the code, you can release it under various different non-exclusive licenses
> at various times. *

Correct. If you are the copyright holder and if there are no other
limiting conditions (like Patents or other licneses you depend on) you
can alway release your code under multiple licenses, one of these for
example being the GPL.

> after porting into u-boot, i'll open the code. and i(we) have the owner ship
> for this protocol

If you release the code under a GPLv2+ (or compatible) license
(probably as onve of several available licenses of this code), the
code can be included into U-Boot.

I don;t understand what you mean by "we have the ownership for this
protocol" - if the code is available under GPL, anybody is able to use
and change this protocol in the same free manner as he does with the
code.  If the use of your protocol is in some way restricted (say,
it is covered by some patents that limit it's use - see for example
the situation for audio and/or video codecs) then your code will not
make it into U-Boot, for the same reasons why we don't accept non-free
code.

> *@Wolfgang Denk, i need your opinions about this issue. Please answer my
> question :)*

I am not a lawyer.  You don't want my opinions.  You want a binding
statement from your legal department.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

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