OpenCores
no use no use 1/1 no use no use
Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by ewa on Aug 26, 2011
ewa
Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 28, 2011
Last seen: Oct 7, 2011
I'd like to reopen the discussion of "free software" style license terms for HDL code. There seems to be a lot of ambiguity about software-oriented licenses (especially the LGPL) mean in this context. In practice, any time I've wanted to use an LGPL-licensed core for work, I've talked with the author personally to clarify what they do and do not intend to allow. This only works when the author is reachable, and when he or she has the authority to choose/change the license.

I'd like to think a bit more about how HDL code is used differently from traditional software, what rights a free software license *ought* to convey in this context, and how well existing licenses match that.

I've started a draft of some thoughts at https://github.com/ewa/free-hdl-license . If you're interested, please take a look at that and give me your thoughts! Feel free to edit the GitHub wiki directly, but *please* only do so if you're OK with me using whatever you put in there. And, of course, you can comment here.
RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by ewa on Aug 26, 2011
ewa
Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 28, 2011
Last seen: Oct 7, 2011
RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by olof on Aug 27, 2011
olof
Posts: 218
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Last seen: Dec 17, 2018
We did have this discussion for a potential or2k. Some pros and cons can be found here
http://opencores.org/or2k/Licensing
RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by ewa on Aug 29, 2011
ewa
Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 28, 2011
Last seen: Oct 7, 2011
We did have this discussion for a potential or2k. Some pros and cons can be found here
http://opencores.org/or2k/Licensing


Is the discussion itself archived anywhere?
RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by jeremybennett on Aug 30, 2011
jeremybennett
Posts: 815
Joined: May 29, 2008
Last seen: Jun 13, 2019

Hi ewa

You might like to have a look at the CERN Open Hardware License used by the Open Hardware Repository (www.ohwr.org).

HTH

Jeremy

--
Tel: +44 (1590) 610184
Cell: +44 (7970) 676050
SkypeID: jeremybennett
Email: jeremy.bennett@embecosm.com
Web: www.embecosm.com

RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by ewa on Sep 1, 2011
ewa
Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 28, 2011
Last seen: Oct 7, 2011
Thanks, Jeremy.

The CERN OHL seems a lot like the TAPR OHL, in that they're both really oriented toward physical artifacts and not software/firmware. In fact, they both explicitly exclude code running on programmable devices. If I want to make a circuit board, or a hammer, either of those licenses pretty much cover it. If I want to make a compiler or a driver, the GNU or BSD licenses work pretty well. If I want to write code which might go into an FPGA, or might go into an ASIC, or might be used for simulation and verification on someone's computer, I don't think any existing license really works well.

Here's the crux of the problem for me: If you download a core that's licensed under the LGPL, do you _really_ know how you can use it? I don't. I've e-mailed individual authors to clarify what they intend to allow, but that doesn't scale. My goals here are to (1) identify how well existing licenses apply to what we do, especially in terms of their language, (2) think about what rights and expectations a free/open license for HDL code _should_ contain, and (3) if necessary think about how to write (or revise) a license to meet those needs.

-Eric
RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by jeremybennett on Sep 2, 2011
jeremybennett
Posts: 815
Joined: May 29, 2008
Last seen: Jun 13, 2019

Hi Eric,

You hightlight the need for a license suited to FPGA/ASIC.

There has been some discussion of this on the OpenRISC mailing lists (with particular reference to OR2K). You might like to start a thread of discussion there, since I don't think many of them watch this forum (see http://opencores.org/or1k/OR1K:Community_portal#Mailing_lists for details).

HTH

Jeremy

RE: Licenses (LGPL and Hardware Redux)
by Joshua5526 on Jan 23, 2012
Joshua5526
Posts: 1
Joined: Dec 21, 2009
Last seen: Mar 27, 2020
FYI. Here are some more folks discussing this same problem. Just showing that this is indeed a need.
http://www.rhinocerus.net/forum/lang-verilog/168090-using-ip-core-licensed-under-lgpl.html
no use no use 1/1 no use no use
© copyright 1999-2024 OpenCores.org, equivalent to Oliscience, all rights reserved. OpenCores®, registered trademark.