[linux-audio-user] Interesting Tidbit: The Midas XL8 uses Linux

[M P Smoak]

On Friday 09 June 2006 22:33, Lee Revell wrote:
> On Fri, 2006-06-09 at 22:12 -0400, M P Smoak wrote:
> > So a company that wanted to have a proprietary connection to linux
> > could write an open source blob and a closed connection to the blob
> > for their closed hardware/software?  ie linux remains useable for
> > companies.
>
> Not if the closed part was specifically developed to run on Linux.
>  The key is whether it's a "derived work" as far as copyright law is
> concerned or not.
>
> If there's IP in your hardware than you absolutely cannot risk
> disclosing (maybe because you went for trade secret protection rather
> than patenting it) you can put the secret part of the driver in
> userspace and keep it closed.

Thanks for the answer; I was thinking of companies that don't want to go 
the patent route. 

Marv