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Re: Broadcom XLP support


On Thu, 4 Aug 2016, Paul_Koning@Dell.com wrote:

> > That might be questionable, I advise enquiring with FSF.  It might be 
> > easier if XLP instruction set documentation was available, but it's NDA'd 
> > I believe.  Granted, with that in hand and using XLR as a template it 
> > would be hard to come up with code substantially different from any 
> > previously proposed.
> 
> Then again, Broadcom (or its predecessors) distributed their modified 
> GPL-licensed tool chains, never to my knowledge claiming that the GPL 
> didn't apply to those modified versions.

 True, that allows you to use and redistribute such modified software as 
per the licence terms of GNU GPL (which is why people can use Broadcom's 
changes at all), however it does not make anyone but Broadcom a copyright 
holder.  For you to become a copyright holder you'd need a separate 
agreement between you and Broadcom, assigning their copyright to you, and 
otherwise you are merely licensed to use their modifications to software 
according to the terms set out in the licence.

 And you need to be a copyright holder in the first place to be able to 
assign your copyright to FSF (or anyone else), or at least disclaim it, 
which is a prerequisite for changes to be included with FSF sources.  I 
think it is obvious that you cannot assign or disclaim (or otherwise 
control) someone else's copyright.

 Yes, I wish things were easier, but there you go.

  Maciej


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