Constantine A. Murenin wrote:

quoted text
> Most noticeably, I fail to see any credits to Reyk Floeter in the

> above press release.

>

> Moreover, back when the release was first posted at the above address,

> there was no credit even to the OpenBSD project, which I found simply

> outrageous!  Only after I (and possibly others) have complained to

> SFLC did they append the release to give some really vague mention

> that OpenHAL is based on OpenBSD's ath(4) HAL.

>

> Eben, is this the work that you are doing in bringing the communities

> together, by omitting such vital information as giving credit to the

> people and projects who performed most of the work?  After all of

> these mistakes, after ignoring the ethical side of the relicensing,

> after failing to inform when relicensing is even legally an option,

> are you seriously even surprised about the negative attention that

> SFLC is getting now?  Taking a step aside, don't you agree it is

> well-deserved?

>

    It is a press release, and an old one at that.

    There is no particular obligation to be fair, complete, or credit

everyone with everything.

    It might have been politically wise - particularly as there are

mentions of Linux and other developers

    to include OpenBSD and Reyk. Of course before posting it they sould

have asked for individual

    critiques from every member of the FOSS community.
    What the SFLC is trying to do is assure that Reyk get's everything

his license requires, everytime

    his work is used or is the basis for a derivative work.

    That is not the same as assuring that he gets credit everytime

Atheros, Linux, or OpenHAL are mentioned.
    In the specific release you are pointing to, the issue the SFLC was

resolving was whether the Linux Atheros

    driver or OpenHAL infringed on Atheros copyrights - a completely

unrelated issue to the current dispute.
    While only Linux and the Linux wireless system maintainer are

mentioned, the SFLC basically cleared the OpenHAL

    project and probably by implication the BSD Atheros drivers from

copyright claims by Atheros.

    In essence rather than maligning Reyk they have agreed to defend his

work should Atheros ever raise a claim,

    They may not have named him or OpenBSD specifically, but they have

placed their impramatur on his work.
    While credit might have been nice too, the SFLC is basically saying

the OpenHAL reverse engineering work was

    well done and does not violate Atheros's copyrights.
    The SFLC did Reyk and the OpenBSD community a favor. They did it for

free.

    They did it at the request of Linux developers,

    and that is who they mentioned in their release.  
--

Dave Lynch 					  	    DLA Systems

Software Development:  				         Embedded Linux

717.627.3770 	       dhlii@dlasys.net 	  http://www.dlasys.net

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Over 25 years' experience in platforms, languages, and technologies too numerous to list.
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