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Diffstat (limited to 'qemu/dtc/README.license')
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diff --git a/qemu/dtc/README.license b/qemu/dtc/README.license deleted file mode 100644 index d56c88f52..000000000 --- a/qemu/dtc/README.license +++ /dev/null @@ -1,56 +0,0 @@ -Licensing and contribution policy of dtc and libfdt -=================================================== - -This dtc package contains two pieces of software: dtc itself, and -libfdt which comprises the files in the libfdt/ subdirectory. These -two pieces of software, although closely related, are quite distinct. -dtc does not incoporate or rely on libfdt for its operation, nor vice -versa. It is important that these two pieces of software have -different license conditions. - -As the copyright banners in each source file attest, dtc is licensed -under the GNU GPL. The full text of the GPL can be found in the file -entitled 'GPL' which should be included in this package. dtc code, -therefore, may not be incorporated into works which do not have a GPL -compatible license. - -libfdt, however, is GPL/BSD dual-licensed. That is, it may be used -either under the terms of the GPL, or under the terms of the 2-clause -BSD license (aka the ISC license). The full terms of that license are -given in the copyright banners of each of the libfdt source files. -This is, in practice, equivalent to being BSD licensed, since the -terms of the BSD license are strictly more permissive than the GPL. - -I made the decision to license libfdt in this way because I want to -encourage widespread and correct usage of flattened device trees, -including by proprietary or otherwise GPL-incompatible firmware or -tools. Allowing libfdt to be used under the terms of the BSD license -makes that it easier for vendors or authors of such software to do so. - -This does mean that libfdt code could be "stolen" - say, included in a -proprietary fimware and extended without contributing those extensions -back to the libfdt mainline. While I hope that doesn't happen, I -believe the goal of allowing libfdt to be widely used is more -important than avoiding that. libfdt is quite small, and hardly -rocket science; so the incentive for such impolite behaviour is small, -and the inconvenience caused therby is not dire. - -Licenses such as the LGPL which would allow code to be used in non-GPL -software, but also require contributions to be returned were -considered. However, libfdt is designed to be used in firmwares and -other environments with unusual technical constraints. It's difficult -to anticipate all possible changes which might be needed to meld -libfdt into such environments and so difficult to suitably word a -license that puts the boundary between what is and isn't permitted in -the intended place. Again, I judged encouraging widespread use of -libfdt by keeping the license terms simple and familiar to be the more -important goal. - -**IMPORTANT** It's intended that all of libfdt as released remain -permissively licensed this way. Therefore only contributions which -are released under these terms can be merged into the libfdt mainline. - - -David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au> -(principal original author of dtc and libfdt) -2 November 2007 |