[etherlab-users] Licencing EtherCAT Master

[Andy Rohr]

Hello Etherlab Users

I just had some conversation with Carsten Emde (executive of Open Source Automation Development Lab, 
http://www.osadl.org) about the EtherCAT Master stack for Linux that was developed by FMTC (https://www.fmtc.be/). This 
stack was supposed to get published as OpenSource by OSADL, but they cannot now, because of a "licence deadlock": 
Apparently the conditions of Beckhoff for using EtherCAT technology is incompatible with the GPLv2 (under which kernel 
modules have to be licenced). According to Carsten this problem is basically the same for the EtherCAT master of IgH. 
Notably the Licence agreement here http://www.etherlab.org/download/EtherCAT_Master_License_Agreement.pdf is not 
compatible with publishing a Software under the GLPv2. According to the construction of their lawer (osadl) the 
GPL-Licence is not valid then.

What do you think about this? Are you aware of that fact? Do we have to expect that IgH cannot publish their EtherCAT 
master anymore?

Andy
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