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

[nicO <nicolas.boulay@ifrance.com>]

Reichelt a écrit :
> 
> Hello.
> 
> At first I want to apologize for my comments, since I am lurker on this list,
> with exception of some very few side remarks. But in my opinion the project of
> Juergen Goeritz could be important to the f-cpu project. I am afraid that a
> chance for funding might be given away without looking for a good solution which
> could make evrybody happy.
> 
> The situation as I see it, is as follows:
> Juergen Goeritz seems to be prepared to base a major development effort on the
> f-cpu, which is not even completely defined yet (see discussion on "Dark and
> dusty corners"). He is prepared to throw major resources at the f-cpu project.
> He wants to protect his own development effort.
> The key persons are not willing to switch to LGPL just for Juergen Goeritz.
> 
> Is it possible to draw a clear line where the f-cpu ends, and where the other
> parts of Juergen Goeritz' SoC starts ? If that is possible, the f-cpu project
> could offer a special license to Juergen Goeritz. He would be allowed to use the
> f-cpu for his project, in exchange for contributions to the project to be
> negotiated. Changes to the f-cpu itself arising from his project would be put
> into the f-cpu, but the work on the rest of his SoC would remain his own. All
> people contributing code would have to agree on this special license.
> 
> The situation would be similar to the mySQL license: If your code is GPL, it use
> it for free; if you want it inside propriatory code, get a license. The GPL does
> not preclude the author to give somebody an additional license.
> 

There is a problem to protect the design. So we use GPL but i want to
speak to a lawyer to know what to do. There is a problem concerning the
binaries/hardware issue of the licence. But the licence speak a lot
about source code and VHDL or C, it's always source code.

I don't know exactly where is the limit that Micheal want to put. but i
know that he prefer design rather than thinking about licence issue.
From my point of view, i think that prorietary SoC should be possibly
made with F-CPU code. Maybe we could use the IP sense of view from
opencores.org. They have defined a "simple" Bus for SoC (Wishbones), so
we could defined a fcpu component (IP?). So every thing inside this bloc
is under GPL (or GPL like) the other part is what you want.

nicO

> Now the most important question:
> Is a compromise along these lines ok, both for Juergen Goeritz and the key
> people (whygee, Michael Riepe, nico, ...) ?
> 
> I hope this will trigger a discussion about a compromise
> 
> Thilo Reichelt
> 
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