>> I realize that this package is GPLed, and I do not intend to put
>> GPLed code in the kernel.  I will clone the decompression engine and
>> provide a non-GPLed version.
> If (and I'm not sure you can) escape the GPL license by recoding, you
> cannot escape the copyright (on the algorythm) that way.

I don't think algorithms can be copyrighted.  Otherwise cleanrooming
wouldn't be possible at all.

And yes, provided you are copying at a high enough level (underlying
algorithms, ideas), recoding does avoid the license issues.  Otherwise
Linux wouldn't've been able to reimplement TCP and GPL the result. :-)

Of course, IANAL, and if it raelly matters to you, find a good IP
lawyer and ask what applies in your jurisdiction.  But I think what
I've said is true of most of "the Western world" (insofar as the term
means anything).

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