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Message
From: Jecel Assumpcao Jr<jecel@m...>
Date: Mon Jan 17 08:59:58 CET 2005
Subject: [oc] License
RT wrote on Mon, 17 Jan 2005 09:05:57 +0000
> You can write any contract you want, but it's pointless if no-one's
> going to sign it.
Exactly. Though in theory you can write any contract you want within the
limits of your local law. For example: in your work contract you might
promise not to work in the same industry for five years after leaving
your job, but in some states in the US the law doesn't allow you to sign
away the right to work anywhere you want and so those words on the
contract don't have any effect.
You can add a clause saying that anyone using your core must hum Italy's
national anthem when compiling it and since this isn't against any law
people who don't do this will be violating the contract. But....
> Reality check: the 'average' ASIC costs about $6.5M. The OC cores are
> not exactly, to be brutally frank, Golden IP, and it would be a very
> brave person who put an OC core into their own ASIC (at least not
> without a complete re-write).
Double reality check: anyone who can pay $6.5M can probably also pay for
more lawyers than us. Do we really want to face them in court? Which is
why I said "in theory" in my first paragraph. We *should* be able to win
when people make us sign a contract which is against the law and we
*should* be able to win when people don't follow a contract term which
isn't, but in practice I wouldn't count on it.
> What you need right now, IMHO, is a licence which puts no obligations at
> all on the user. This increases the chances that your cores will be
> used. If Open Cores eventually become popular, then you may be in a
> position to make your licences more restrictive.
If Open Cores become popular, more people will be willing to put up with
restrictions to use them. But I would say that it is when you have the
will and resources to go after any "cheaters" that you will be in a
position to put in restrictions. Othewise they will be just a joke.
-- Jecel
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