Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 24th Nov 2006 23:05 UTC, submitted by SEJeff
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Member since:
2005-07-06
Except the GPL developers work is not being stolen, damaged, or lessened. The GPLed work is still protected in every way as delineated by the GPL v2 license. The nv driver has not been broken due to the offer, nor has the kernel been made inoperable.
Nvidia and ATI believe that the method by which they are making drivers available is within the scope of the GPL and I and many others happen to agree. They are not "contravening" the GPL license they are trying to legally interoperate with it.
Saying that NVidia releasing free as in beer drivers for Linux but not releasing the source is no better than someone knowingly stealing commercial software is highly dubious.
You are free not to use the drivers but to say that offering drivers is the equivalent to illegal distribution of commercial software? I have no basis for common ground with you and leave you to your opinion. Good day.
EDIT: For the record, I do not use the blob drivers. I made a conscious decision that I did not want to rely on an unknown piece of code running at the kernel level in my systems. Since I do not game nor do I do grahics work the Intel chipsets are sufficient for my 3d needs. Where I have Nvidia or ATI chipsets I make due with the open source drivers. This was my decision to make, not yours. If the kernel developers wish to object and refuse to allow the binary drivers it is within their right to take them to court. FSF would be quite capable of handling the case I think. Since ther has not been a legal objection to the providing of the drivers this can be taken as a tacit, if unliked, allowance for distribution.
Edited 2006-11-25 19:17