Linksys WRT54G and the GPL
Quoted 4 lines · Andrew Miklas
Awhile ago, I mentioned that the Linksys WRT54G wireless access point used several GPL projects in its firmware, but did not seem to have any of the source available, or acknowledge the use of the GPLed software. Four weeks
[--------snip-----------]
Quoted 3 lines
Incidentally, there is at least one other GPLed project in the firmware:
the BusyBox userland component: (http://www.busybox.net/)
<BusyBox maintainer hat on>
I went through a similar exercise several weeks ago when I saw the thread on the l-k mailing list. It took just a fix minutes to extract the linux kernel and cramfs filesystem from their firmware. Linksys is indeed shipping BusyBox and the Linux kernel without releasing source in violation of the GPL. I had my lawyer (it helps to have a lawyer for a Dad) send them a rather polite but firm letter about 3 weeks ago. No response. So he has now sent them a second letter... Assuming we again get no response, Linksys is going to find themselves in court in the very near future.
I like Linksys and I have several of their products. Nobody forced them to use Linux. Nobody forced them to use BusyBox. But when they made the choice to use them, they committed themselves to abiding by the law. And the law says then when companies violate software licenses and don't take care of the problem when asked politely, they have to pay my Dad lots of money for the legal time it takes him to sue their pants off... :-)
-Erik
--
Erik B. Andersen http://codepoet-consulting.com/
--This message was written using 73% post-consumer electrons--
Quoted 3 lines · Erik Andersen
So he has now sent them a second letter... Assuming we again get no response, Linksys is going to find themselves in court in the very near future.
Go for it. This might be the acid test to see whether the GPL holds up in court...
Regards
Henning
Signature · 5 lines
Dipl.-Inf. (Univ.) Henning P. Schmiedehausen INTERMETA GmbH [email protected] +49 9131 50 654 0 http://www.intermeta.de/ Java, perl, Solaris, Linux, xSP Consulting, Web Services freelance consultant -- Jakarta Turbine Development -- hero for hire
Quoted 8 lines · Henning P. Schmiedehausen
Quoted 3 lines · Erik Andersen
So he has now sent them a second letter... Assuming we again get no response, Linksys is going to find themselves in court in the very near future.
Go for it. This might be the acid test to see whether the GPL holds up in court...
And be sure to tell the FSF. Look here:
<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html>. The FSF does not hold copyright to busybox, but I think they will find ways of supporting you.
Signature · 3 lines
Christian Ullrich Registered Linux User #125183 "Remember: 'I am a person. I have a right to the ball.'"
I suggest taking this slowly; just like no one here would like a bunch of lawyers breathing down their necks for something I'm sure their guys won't either - and that should probably be a last resort after people have tried a few friendlier contacts.
In the case of busybox I guess they are just using a standard unmodified one; so in principal all they really missing is an acknowledgment pointing to its home page.
In the case of the kernel do we know they've actually made any modifications at all? Or is it just a standard distribution from someone else? Perhaps they've contributed changes back?
Dave
---------------- Have a happy GNU millennium! ----------------------
/ Dr. David Alan Gilbert | Running GNU/Linux on Alpha,68K| Happy \ \ gro.gilbert @ treblig.org | MIPS,x86,ARM,SPARC,PPC & HPPA | In Hex / \ _________________________|_____ http://www.treblig.org |_______/
Quoted 5 lines · Dr. David Alan Gilbert
I suggest taking this slowly; just like no one here would like a bunch of lawyers breathing down their necks for something I'm sure their guys won't either - and that should probably be a last resort after people have tried a few friendlier contacts.
Quoted 8 lines
In the case of busybox I guess they are just using a standard unmodified one; so in principal all they really missing is an acknowledgment pointing to its home page.
In the case of the kernel do we know they've actually made any modifications at all? Or is it just a standard distribution from someone else? Perhaps they've contributed changes back?
Well, there should be a driver for the 802.11g (or is it a) card in there. The question is whether they did it as a module or not. It would be nice if the contributed that in any case.
Marcus
Signature · 5 lines
/--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Dr. Marcus O.C. Metzler | | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------| | [email protected] | http://www.metzlerbros.de/ | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/
Quoted 4 lines · Dr. David Alan Gilbert
...
In the case of busybox I guess they are just using a standard unmodified one; so in principal all they really missing is an acknowledgment pointing to its home page.
This is wrong.
Setion 3 of the GPL clearly states they have to accompany their product either with the complete source code or with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party the complete source code.
Quoted 3 lines
In the case of the kernel do we know they've actually made any modifications at all? Or is it just a standard distribution from someone else? Perhaps they've contributed changes back?
See above, they must offer the complete source code (except for the source for non-GPL'd drivers) with their products.
Quoted 1 line
Dave
cu
Adrian
Signature · 4 lines
"Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
"Only a promise," Lao Er said.
Pearl S. Buck - Dragon SeedQuoted 6 lines · * Adrian Bunk ([email protected]) wrote:
Quoted 4 lines · Dr. David Alan Gilbert
...
In the case of busybox I guess they are just using a standard unmodified one; so in principal all they really missing is an acknowledgment pointing to its home page.
Quoted 6 lines
This is wrong.
Setion 3 of the GPL clearly states they have to accompany their product either with the complete source code or with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party the complete source code.
While probably true, if someone acknowledged the GPL'd code, had contributed changes back and pointed you at the sites main distribution site you wouldn't really get too fussy about them actually physically supplying a copy would you? (And anyway that was all written before everyone had net access and could go and get their own copy).
Dave
---------------- Have a happy GNU millennium! ----------------------
/ Dr. David Alan Gilbert | Running GNU/Linux on Alpha,68K| Happy \ \ gro.gilbert @ treblig.org | MIPS,x86,ARM,SPARC,PPC & HPPA | In Hex / \ _________________________|_____ http://www.treblig.org |_______/