[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [f-cpu] License issues GPL/LGPL and Juergen's SoC



On Sat, 8 Sep 2001, Michael Riepe wrote:
> 
> Note that he said nothing about his contributions to the F-CPU project,

I am interested in the development of a pipeline floating point
instruction set. Development for F-CPU is only interesting for
me if I can use the F-CPU with my mCluster design.

> except for some obscure remarks about members of the mCluster design
> team being allowed to also work on the F-CPU, and founding an AG (with
> F-CPU team members as shareholders?). 

I was thinking of setting up a company to handle industrial
interest in the F-CPU - to work as coordination and contact.
This company could handle e.g. coordination of development,
licensing of established versions for industrial use, collect
donations, promote F-CPU, produce chips for public use, etc.
The shares of this company would belong to F-CPU participants
who want entitlement into this company because of their work
done for F-CPU.

Donations and license fees (if any) could be either spread
among the shareholders or used for further proceedings of
the development. Ideally it could lead to regular income
for the shareholders if enough industrial licensing takes
place (at least that's my wish) but I would not want to go
for money raising on the stock market. I imagined something
like a non/small profit company.

> I'm still waiting for a clear, precise statement what Juergen wants,
> and what he offers in return. I have a vague idea about the former,
> but that's all.

Michael, I am not somebody having only a lot of money and knowing
nothing about the contence/development. I have built a small
start-up company with a good product idea (that's what I think)
and could participate into this 'AG idea' personally but can't
finance it completely by myself. I don't want to take control
over the F-CPU development. I simply had that idea of using it
in my design (and get it working for space use). That's all.
Of course I could also use some partners.

> On the other hand, it may be already too late.  I'm not willing to make
> any deals with people I don't trust -- and I can't trust people who are
> unable (or unwilling) to come to the point and say what they mean.

I didn't meet you yet, can't say anything about trust.
But maybe you know me already and use some email alias?

> I believe that Juergen's commercial interests will collide with the
> goals of the F-CPU project sooner or later, and that cooperating with his
> mCluster project/company may (and will, due to Murphy's Law) take away
> our freedom to design and develop the F-CPU the way we want.  It may
> also result in a separate, incompatible branch of F-CPU development,
> which is even worse -- in particular if that branch is not open-sourced.
> In order to prevent that, I will say no to any license changes that drop
> the special restrictions of the GPL wrt. distribution of derived works.

The story behind why I was complaining about GPL use in
the F-CPU project is that I believe that it is not really
covering your work. GPL was designed as software license.
It should be adapted to cover hardware development first.
See some explanations in other mails.

On the other hand, I have enough experience to go for own
cpu design. But why not try to ask if F-CPU could be used
instead?

> Basta.

Sorry for asking in the first place.

JG


*************************************************************
To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to majordomo@seul.org with
unsubscribe f-cpu       in the body. http://f-cpu.seul.org/