Jump to content

Is montavista linux violating GPL ?


Guest ndeb
 Share

Recommended Posts

http://www.mvista.com/products/faq.html#q9

 

Its says:

A: The GNU General Public License (GPL) is very specific about the obligations imposed

on developers leveraging Open Source. If you deploy/redistribute program binaries derived

from source code licensed under the GPL, you must

 

 

Supply the source code to derived GPL code or Make an offer (good for 3 years) to supply the source code

 

Retain all licensing / header information, copyright notices, etc. in those sources

 

Redistribute the text of the GPL with the binaries and/or source code

 

Note that your obligation is strictly to the recipients of binaries (i.e., your customers). You have no responsibility to the "community" at large.

 

Note the last sentence which says u won't get the source code if u do not purchase their binaries.

 

I thought if a vendor distributes binaries of GPL software then they are obliged to supply the source along with it to the customer. In addition, any person (including 3rd parties) can request a copy of the source code (irrespective of whether he/she is purchasing the binaries). The price paid by the 3rd party should only be the cost of distribution of source code. At least thats what the section from http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html says:

3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:  

 

a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,  

 

B) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,  

 

c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

 

Note the clause B) where it clearly says that any 3rd party can request the source code for reasonable charge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For reporting, the info is in http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html .

 

Its ironic that people blame Bill $Gates for spreading FUD about the GPL. Here, we have a company which is living by it and spreading FUD about it. In http://www.mvista.com/products/faq.html#q10 it says:

To summarize, your obligation as deployers of code covered by the GPL focuses on what you need pass on to your customers (as above). If you copy, modify or indirectly derive (e.g., through linkage) GPL code, you must supply the source code to that portion of your application (e.g., the Linux kernel) to the consumers of the derived binaries (i.e., your customers). You have no obligation to "the community"

at large; your code doesn't enter the Public Domain, and you have every right to retain all non-derived portions (your main value add) as proprietary.

 

Note the You have no obligation to "the community" at large; your code doesn't enter the Public Domain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...