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Re: question about copyrights


H Girard wrote:
Hi Jonathan ,

I have a question about a port of redboot to a new board using a Idt mips
part that is almost complete . You might remember me because I copied you on
a request to Idt to assign the copyright of their low level startup code (in
assembler) to Redhat. I never got any response to that request.
Oh well.

Some sections of this code had to be modified  substantially to work with
the specific hardware caracteristics of that new board (and only that board
unless someone copies exactly the schematics and bom ) while some others
like cache inits where not. The pci initialisation found on one of their app
notes was also used and integrated into redboot including some of my fixes
to broken code found in the appnote.

In order to be compliant with copyright laws and or avoid legal harassment
is it sufficient to get a written approval that Idt's  original code was
modified sufficiently that the code can be released in the public domain and
anyone can use it freely .
Yes it would be in fact, provide they can also assure you and us that they were the sole authors of that code. To be clear, you need to get their consent that the code covered by their copyright used as a basis for your code may be released into the public domain.

One example of this is the memory testing code
found in Michael Barr's code found in an online magazine
http://www.embedded.com/mag.htm that states that anyone can use the code
freely. Or is an actual assignement of the modified code required?
Yes, as a special exception we will accept the code without the assignment. I've examined the blurb at the top of memtest.[ch], and that is acceptable. Obviously you need to do as he says and retain the notice banner.

It's not something we like to make a habit of, but for third party code we do occasionally need to strike a balance.

Hope this helps,

Jifl
--
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