Fedora Freedom and linux-libre

[Horst H. von Brand]

Alexandre Oliva <aoliva at redhat.com> wrote:
> On Jun 14, 2008, Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Alexandre Oliva wrote:
> 
> >>>> The other is, is the kernel separate from the device's firmware?
> 
> >>> That's a different question, unrelated to how that firmware got into
> >>> the device.
> 
> >> I know.  I don't understand why you insist on this irrelevant point.
> 
> > Because I think it is the only relevent point. It is only if the
> > combined works form a derivative work that restrictions can apply to
> > the combination differently than the components and whether a
> > derivative work is formed does not depend on how the components were
> > distribtuted.
> 
> There are various possibilities here, let me summarize the ones that
> occur to me, in no particular order:
> 
> a. one work is a derivative from the other, and they are distributed
>    together
> 
> b. one work is a derivative from the other, and they are distributed
>    separately
> 
> c. two unrelated works are distributed separately
> 
> d. two works are combined into a single coherent work, undoubtedly a
>    derivative from both, regardless of whether the two works were
>    originally related, and then the derivative work is distributed

If they were originally not related, just gluing them together doesn't
make them derivatives of each other.

> e. two unrelated works are distributed together by mere aggregation in
>    a single volume of storage or distribution medium
> 
> If I understood your argument correctly, you appear to be proposing
> that, because cases such as (a-c) exist, the case at hand can't be
> (d), so it must be (e).  I don't see how this conclusion can follow
> from the premises.  Please clue me in?

(d) is impossible, so only (e) is left.
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
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