From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=3.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,SPF_PASS autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.0 Received: from mail.kernel.org (mail.kernel.org [198.145.29.99]) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 07E64C43381 for ; Mon, 1 Apr 2019 19:50:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: from shelob.surriel.com (shelob.surriel.com [96.67.55.147]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id BBBD320830 for ; Mon, 1 Apr 2019 19:50:03 +0000 (UTC) DMARC-Filter: OpenDMARC Filter v1.3.2 mail.kernel.org BBBD320830 Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; dmarc=fail (p=none dis=none) header.from=vt.edu Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; spf=fail smtp.mailfrom=kernelnewbies-bounces@kernelnewbies.org Received: from localhost ([::1] helo=shelob.surriel.com) by shelob.surriel.com with esmtp (Exim 4.91) (envelope-from ) id 1hB2wJ-0005cB-Fj; Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:49:51 -0400 Received: from omr1.cc.ipv6.vt.edu ([2607:b400:92:8300:0:c6:2117:b0e] helo=omr1.cc.vt.edu) by shelob.surriel.com with esmtps (TLSv1.2:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:256) (Exim 4.91) (envelope-from ) id 1hB2wH-0005c4-Qr for kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org; Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:49:49 -0400 Received: from mr5.cc.vt.edu (mr5.cc.vt.edu [IPv6:2607:b400:92:8400:0:72:232:758b]) by omr1.cc.vt.edu (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id x31JnlSR028326 for ; Mon, 1 Apr 2019 15:49:47 -0400 Received: from mail-qt1-f199.google.com (mail-qt1-f199.google.com [209.85.160.199]) by mr5.cc.vt.edu (8.14.7/8.14.7) with ESMTP id x31Jngp9008722 for ; Mon, 1 Apr 2019 15:49:47 -0400 Received: by mail-qt1-f199.google.com with SMTP id x58so11186031qtc.1 for ; Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:49:47 -0700 (PDT) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:sender:from:to:cc:subject:in-reply-to:references :mime-version:content-transfer-encoding:date:message-id; bh=ZKKHH+Z5PWujWlztOL0n4B96rsNYc+/v5XVNy9/fZjE=; b=KgwdzXCwelw1HUhYV0nsdhQN2uuHxlRhKyvujhccLlfM0+Z6rKif8VZ+12BN9Rdav9 EMA/ogB+v8NuzcPJmoR1eigvXUOBNUMckkZX8awQVxm4XFOssDgnpuVv9TZ6b3RGPyij tlTh+MjhUuAz1/PnwngfeYDv2uipN2Ys2dXTajU/H3JQXqfSPIzAXz3ZP+KaDw5iY1sL otvbCMec1YO2I6IpIY+jopcVNR3UB8cMWLP5vqEajBubRBIcy250dRwH2RPDvtJgTpy4 pNhT8cIm8F+LPhYzL7rKUFVQd1hKawRRfVKMg3WNnE0HqGRAGT95cG0oVuvPTTE6E713 ORoQ== X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAWgpIAyJ8/+GU68dftpf/UR1yb/kqMgz2rRN4RDvwCb/mtDEMhV ZkCT5ipwJPRutFrkiSDqpz83PsBV3Mm8ihKvQ//QFwpmxa3MiEIR03MlJ4+0KOtpNb1hSQCRNzX Kif0AFoJ51ASvBgJl+ayWz8+Y2rSZwJz1FZhyIB8= X-Received: by 2002:aed:21e2:: with SMTP id m31mr54182869qtc.44.1554148182450; Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:49:42 -0700 (PDT) X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqzKg9vl9XzIHM+8cBDrOxCkuZC+0ydGi5aWAM4KE2uqUSJ9GBC9gNMJVgNgI1ieHM7m2+ANPg== X-Received: by 2002:aed:21e2:: with SMTP id m31mr54182845qtc.44.1554148182207; Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:49:42 -0700 (PDT) Received: from turing-police ([2601:5c0:c001:4341::3b7]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id m18sm6359482qki.64.2019.04.01.12.49.40 (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305 bits=256/256); Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:49:41 -0700 (PDT) From: "Valdis Kl=?utf-8?Q?=c4=93?=tnieks" X-Google-Original-From: "Valdis Kl=?utf-8?Q?=c4=93?=tnieks" X-Mailer: exmh version 2.9.0 11/07/2018 with nmh-1.7+dev To: Andrea Laisa Subject: Re: Questions about my idea (for gsoc) In-reply-to: <316dadf7-29a7-4a2e-96e5-4e00e59d9286@studenti.unimi.it> References: <316dadf7-29a7-4a2e-96e5-4e00e59d9286@studenti.unimi.it> Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:49:40 -0400 Message-ID: <26523.1554148180@turing-police> Cc: kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org X-BeenThere: kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: Learn about the Linux kernel List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Errors-To: kernelnewbies-bounces@kernelnewbies.org On Mon, 01 Apr 2019 18:19:12 +0200, Andrea Laisa said: > My idea is to write a Linux driver for a proprietary network protocol > used by the outdoor Gemtek antennas(which are essentially a LTE modem) This may be a legal mine field. To create a *usable* Linux driver, you'll need to have one that's free of licensing restrictions. If Gemtek claims one or more patents on the protocol, you may be unable to implement the protocol without dealing with the licensing issues. And I'm reasonably sure that Gemtek won't be too interested in helping you write the driver, because its existence would cut into their sales of access points. Note that this is *different* than the question of reverse engineering hardware or software for interoperability. Patents cover any use whatsoever of the patented intellectual property, and if you reverse engineer and then implement, you can't claim accidental infringement (which happens a lot, especially if the patent ofice is lax on enforcing the "non-obvious" requirement) and you're squarely in willful infringement territory, which in the US can get you hit with triple damages... (Note - I am not a laywer, just somebody who reads enough about intellectual property law to know that anytime you see "proprietary", you are *guaranteed* to hit some sort of intellectual property law issue. _______________________________________________ Kernelnewbies mailing list Kernelnewbies@kernelnewbies.org https://lists.kernelnewbies.org/mailman/listinfo/kernelnewbies