[openip] Possible problem with LGPL - advice ?

["MikeJ" <mikej@freeuk.com>]

Hi Chaps.

I have received an email from someone who wishes to use an opencores core,
but has pointed out some problems with the LGPL that many of us to
distribute our hardware cores.

advice ??
cheers.
MikeJ


The terms in the LPGPL (see below) state that the end user must be able
to replace the core (library) by another version. In the case of an ASIC
production this would imply that either the synthesized netlist or the
post-layout files for the whole chip should be provided free of charge.

This is unacceptable. I would hope the idea behind the open cores would
be that any changes made to the cores _themselves_ would have to be
released. But releasing the whole ASIC project (of which the controller
core would only be a tiny part) makes use of this type of core in any
sort of commercial project impossible (and together with it the benefits
of having commercial developers improve the core and release the changes
will disappear).

Is there any chance of providing an exception to those terms? Something
like:

This library is free software; you can distribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at
your option) any later version. However, as an exception to section 6 of
the GNU Lesser General Public License, you are allowed to provide the
"work that uses the Library" in a form (e.g. hardware) that does not
give the user the possibility to replace the Library with a modified
version.

If not I'm afraid I will have to scrap your core (like all LGPL-licensed
cores) from my evaluation for inclusion in a future ASIC.


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