Re: gEDA-user: licensing (GPL or otherwise) for hardware?

[Karel Kulhavy <clock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Dec 13, 2006 at 07:12:05PM +0000, Michael Sokolov wrote:
> Andy Peters <devel@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > Just to clarify: if I use GPLed or BSD-licensed tools to develop  
> > hardware, as well as using GPLed symbols/footprints, am I obligated  
> > to open-source the hardware design (the schematic, the PCB layout)?
> 
> The tools do not impose this obligation, but your morality should.

I wonder if the schematics are under GPL if it means noone can modify the
design sell it and not give the sources.

It happened in CZ that someone did this with my Ronja and I was pissed and I
thought what he did was illegal. But looked into the law and finally understood
electronics design cannot be protected by copyright there, so it turned out he
didn't do anything illegal. Is it different in the US?

> 
> > Common sense says no, but the degrees of freedom (hah hah) in open- 
> > source licenses vary greatly, and if I cannot keep my designs  
> > proprietary, then I can't use the tools.
> 
> Regardless of what tools you use, if you keep your designs proprietary
> you are a bad guy and will burn in hell after you die (which may be
> accelerated if you get tried and rightfully executed by a lynch mob for
> your crime of withholding software source code and/or hardware designs
> from The People).

One advantage of open source is that they cannot fight against you with the
patent minefield. An owner of patent doesn't have a right to ban anyone from
describing how to do something (i. e. publishing a complete DIY guide).

I wouldn't be surpriset to find  Ronja to be covered with some patents.  But
the patent trolls would have to fight everyone who built it in his garage which
is a bit impractical ;-) And moreover in CZ the scope of patent protection
applies only if you sell the goods commercially - if you do it for yourself,
then you are fine.

Recently a SW patent for multiply-linked linked lists was issued in US. Does
gEDA contain these? Then a problem might ensue ;-)

> 
> -Space Falcon,
> 
> who has open sourced every single piece of software he has written in
> his entire life (including forcible open-sourcing in valiant breach of
> employment agreements etc) and will do the same with hardware designs.

Do you have an URL to the works mentioned in the last paragraphs? Maybe I
could use something :)

CL<
> 
> 
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