Soft IPs licensing

Hi all,

I am looking for information about licensing of HW designs. To be more
specific I would like to find out what kind of license comes with the
WishBone specification (rev B.3). I read on the OpenCores web site that
they refer to the GPL licence but after having read it on
http://www.gnu.org I have a lot of questions. It is not clear to me
once a GPL licensed softcore is included in a larger design then the
whole design MUST be made available under the same conditions of the
GPL core. Moreover on the OpenCore web site
(http://opencores.nnytech.net/faq.cgi/section/4/4.1#4.1) it is written
that:

"Conversely, if you use a GPLed item, you MUST distribute all
information about it and NOT prevent others from redistributing or
modifying it. Stating it as an oversimplification: you cannot keep
secrets unless you want your butt sued."

Does this mean that a company who makes money on the design they make
cannot use free cores because they would be OBLIGED to "distribute all
information about it"? If a design center uses a free IP in their
design, must they make the source code of the whole IC available to
everybody? Or the entire data base? Or none of them? And what if they
design their IPs but all of them are equipped with a WishBone
interface: they do not use any source code but just the WishBone
specifications. Must they publish their source code?

I've already googled but I was not able to find the information I was
looking for. Suggestion, articles, URLs and anything useful to my
purpose is welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

hata

"hata" <sabatian@libero.it> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:1122377144.005204.205540@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all,
>
> I am looking for information about licensing of HW designs. To be more
> specific I would like to find out what kind of license comes with the
> WishBone specification (rev B.3). I read on the OpenCores web site that
> they refer to the GPL licence but after having read it on
> http://www.gnu.org I have a lot of questions. It is not clear to me
> once a GPL licensed softcore is included in a larger design then the
> whole design MUST be made available under the same conditions of the
> GPL core. Moreover on the OpenCore web site
> (http://opencores.nnytech.net/faq.cgi/section/4/4.1#4.1) it is written
> that:
>
> "Conversely, if you use a GPLed item, you MUST distribute all
> information about it and NOT prevent others from redistributing or
> modifying it. Stating it as an oversimplification: you cannot keep
> secrets unless you want your butt sued."
>
> Does this mean that a company who makes money on the design they make
> cannot use free cores because they would be OBLIGED to "distribute all
> information about it"? If a design center uses a free IP in their
> design, must they make the source code of the whole IC available to
> everybody? Or the entire data base? Or none of them? And what if they
> design their IPs but all of them are equipped with a WishBone
> interface: they do not use any source code but just the WishBone
> specifications. Must they publish their source code?
>
> I've already googled but I was not able to find the information I was
> looking for. Suggestion, articles, URLs and anything useful to my
> purpose is welcomed.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> hata
>
wishbone and compliant products can be for profit without the need to reveal
the sources.

the licensing must be checked for each case in separate, the GPL is the
worst license (most restrictive).

in generic, you can use pretty much all you can (open source ipcore stuff)
the chances that somebody will actually sue you are very little. Of course
if you are trying to sell a ip core in source form that is largely based on
the GPL source code than that would not end very well. But if you use open
source IP cores in some ASIC without publishing the sources, then nothing
happens - because no one will know whats inside the asic and as there is no
party that could sue you or has even interest in doing so.

sure check it out with some good lawer to makes sure there are no chances
you get sued.

Antti

In article <1122377144.005204.205540@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, 
sabatian@libero.it says...
> Hi all,
> 
> I am looking for information about licensing of HW designs. <snip
> I read on the OpenCores web site that
> they refer to the GPL licence but after having read it on
> http://www.gnu.org I have a lot of questions. <snip>

Curious about gpl, I found this transcription of the Massachusetts 
Software Council's Open Source Summit.

Quote: "to facilitate a dialog between professionals who are engaged 
in efforts around the topic of open source". End Quote.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050727214837480
It's discussion may cover some of your questions.

-- 
James Harry