
Possible GPL Violation from Compaq UPDATED 167
An anonymous reader wrote in to say "I was having a look at ThinkGeek's 6 Gb MP3 jukebox, and was interested to see that the software is Linux-based. There's a link at the bottom of the page: download Linux source. Interestingly, this link requires I 'sign' a license agreement with Compaq before downloading the source code. The license, amongst other (scary) things, says:
CUSTOMER acknowledges and agrees that COMPAQ owns all rights,
title and interests in and to the SOFTWARE and all Intellectual Property
Rights therein."
That can't be right, can it? What's going on here? Is it a simple case of Compaq needing reminding about the ground rules concerning Linux distribution? Perhaps they have not made any kernel modifications, and this license is for their application software? " Update: 09/13 05:16 PM by CT : we screwed this one up. The link is somewhat misleading since it says its a link to Linux Source, but its not actually the linux source, its just some code that runs on linux. Stop flaming please. Move along. Nothing to see here.
Re:How is this a GPL violation? (Score:2)
Does anyone know who to email (Score:1)
shame on /. (Score:2)
--
Fresh off the turnip wagon . . . (Score:2)
So, Rob, tell me, did it hurt when you plummeted off the turnip wagon?
I mean jeez. This is the second story today I saw where you guys seem to be just trying to cause a fire-storm. Two links deep we have the press release about the Linux DVD player. (Oh horror of horrors! The project is running LATE! That never happens in the real world.)
Then this. That's quite the Linux distribution they have there. They are right to change the license if their whole distro can be in that 504kb zipfile I downloaded a minute ago.
Don't you guys even make a slight attempt to research your stories before you post them?
Karma be damned.Seems like GPL. Compiles on FreeBSD. Usefull?.. (Score:1)
Re:Hey, flame-boy (Score:1)
Synopsis of Comments (Score:2)
My mom is not a Karma whore!
Re:The extra license does; the software is clear (Score:2)
--
But they are the same! (Score:1)
The GPL *gives* you the right to distribute source code in any way you choose, despite what the copyright holder says.
You CAN'T steal somthing that is GPLd. "Look at my new 3l33t h0t k-rad cr4ack3d w4ar3z LiNuX K3rN3l d00dz!" is just not possible because of the nature of the GPL. Hell, you don't even have to accept the terms if you don't want to. I beleive clause 5 (or maybe another number) simply binds you to the usual copyright laws if you don't like the GPL.
How much more freedom do ya want?
>Company X is distributing software in violation of the GPL! That's wrong! Let's get the bastards!
Yes, Company X is not using the GPL or violating it. So therefore they are denying you the right to distribute source code in any way you choose, despite what the copyright holder says. Instead you have to receive and use the software in the way Compaq chooses.
Try harder next time.
Re:Turn off the flame-throwers (Score:1)
No no. The source and all our modifications are GPL'd and included. It's just that this package is distributed in our standard 'packaging' and that standard packaging and the form you have to get by to download it contain our 'standard' license. If one read those and presumed that they applied to everything being downloaded or within the package (which they seem to claim), then the wrong message would be received....
Clear?
Re:Oh Lord (Score:1)
--
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:1)
The same reason that First Boobs was modded up as being funny.
Moderators are people.
people can be, and tend to act, stupid.
Stupidity likes stupidity
[phpwebhosting.com]
nerdfarm.org
Slashdot and self regulation (maybe off topic).. (Score:2)
While they may get a fair bit of ammo because of the posting of the article in the first place (erroneously), the thing to note is that the most highly rated articles are the ones that actually point out the error and clarify the issue rationally
Unlike many news agencies and distributors of FUD, the editorial staff (CdrTaco himself) concerned quickly got back, and amended the text to admit that there was a big cockup made.
No quiet removal and brush it under the carpet, and pretend it didn't happen.
Maybe it's something they should read, just so they can see that we still consider ourselves not just 'geeks', but wholly human, thus fallible, but with the guts to stand up and admit the error and face the fire.
Just a thought, thought I'd share...
Malk
Flame the witches! (Score:3)
Ummm, what, they may have made a mistake? That the software is actually under GPL, and the license is erroneous? It *doesn't matter*. Free software is way too important to tolerate mistakes. Flame 'em.
Uh... perhaps they want to make a profit on it? Perhaps it isn't a derived work, perhaps it only *runs on* Linux? No matter. Flame 'em. Commercial software sucks. Only free software is good enough to run on free OSs.
Flame the vendors, flame the reviewers, flame the journalists who have this idiotic idea that free software devotees are a gaggle of flaming geeks. That'll convince them that free software is mature (like its promoters) and worth supporting.
<sigh>
Re:Not quite. (Score:1)
You might say that, considering I've been arguing against it for at least a decade, and considering that my karma has gone up and down more than Clinton in the Oval Ofice from arguing it here...
--
This post is clearly an RMS plant... (Score:2)
I could use one of those new-fangled iPaqs myself. I hear they ported Windows to that thing now.
Boilerplate... (Score:2)
This is most likely some form of boilerplate contract language that COMPAQ's lawyers told their web-publishing department to release all "to be distributed free"-type software under.
The programmer who released the GPL code probably just put it up on a server controlled by a dept. that does this as part of their release process.
It's quite unlikely that this is an intentional challenge to the GPL or other freeware licenses.
Point it out to them, and I'm sure they'll clean it up.
What the heck? (Score:3)
If you're worried about it.... (Score:1)
" If you have any problems with this site, please send mail [mailto] to the Compaq Corporate Research Downloads Team [compaq.com]."
Simple isn't it?
Malk-a-mite
Are we leaping to conclusions here? Yeah, we are. (Score:3)
It just happens to use Linux as its core, but the actual internals may very well be proprietary. (The file manager, MP3 decoder, etc.) If these bits are in fact Compaq-proprietary, they're permitted to use whatever license they please (including the ugly abomination they're using here). The GPL would only cover the Linux kernel itself in this case, and I think we all know where to get that. I'm willing to bet that either:
Let's not always leap to conclusions, summoning dark demons, creatures of unmitigated hatred, and RMS, every time something like this happens. More often than not, it's just legitimate misunderstanding.
They licensed the software under the GPL... (Score:2)
Here's a link to a mirror to the official sources:
http://members.xoom.com/svartal f/winjukebox_v_1_0.zip [xoom.com]
Re:Here's a mirror - It's GPL, go get it... (Score:1)
-- Sig (120 chars) --
Your friendly neighborhood mIRC scripter.
Re:Not quite. (Score:2)
`normal' use of headers and substantive quoting that should be covered
by the GPL. That there is an exemption for normal use of headers I
thought was not in doubt, since there is a clearly worded paragraph by
the copyright holder to this effect.
Any other PJB100 users out there? (Score:2)
I've tried hard to find any 'communities' (lists, forums, etc) for other PJB100 users, but I can't seem to find any that are populated
Slashdot violates common sense (Score:1)
There is no GPL code in the code they are shipping.
Point 2, why the fsck did you not even bother to go about this the correct way - namely ASK COMPAQ (assuming you were too incompetant to be able to check the actual source code yourself)?
For crying out loud, when is slashdot going to wake up and stop posting shite like this thread? This is a NONH story, brought about because the submitter was to lazy / stupid to check it out first, and ditto slashdot.
*sigh*
Re:Here's a mirror - It's GPL, go get it... (Score:2)
Problem has been fixed... (Score:1)
up for access...
I think the flamers out there will now be very disappointed
that there is one less thing to flame at...
As various people have noted, shooting first and
asking questions later isn't a way to win friends
and influence people...
- Jim Gettys
Re:Contract NOT invalid (Score:1)
There is no GPL infringement, just Rob being to stupid and lazy to check his facts.
Re:Do some legwork before posting these stories (Score:1)
arstechnica.com (Score:2)
ArsTechnica has some of the best articles. They are similar to slashdot in that they post links to other cool geeky things, but they also generate a lot of their own content (well written, geeky articles). In addition, they are not as biased towards one OS over another. They cover Linux, BeOS, MacOS, and Windows.
It's news for geeks, minus the paranoia, propaganda, and pandering to Linux zealots.
-thomas
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Re:Turn off the flame-throwers (Score:1)
> A simple e-mail to Compaq legal oughta do the trick; it's only a minor error.
I'm resentful of the fact that an e-mail to their legal department is even necessary.
Why?
Because the (nameless) company I work for has done the EXACT same thing, in spite of my own internal objections! As far as they were concerned, the 'wrapper' license doesn't mean what it clearly claims it means, the 'sub' license was burried in there and 'over-rides' the wrapper license, and so that was that. (Go figure, the glove is on the other hand and they interpret it in whatever way is convenient.)
Good luck getting anything done about it.
BY THE EYE OF THUNDERA!!! (Score:1)
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057
I hate to say it, but he's right. (Score:2)
Vovida, OS VoIP
Beer recipe: free! #Source
Cold pints: $2 #Product
probably boilerplate template for web downloads (Score:1)
Just transfer software? (Score:1)
This is a case of a clueless suit... (Score:1)
Huh? (Score:1)
Are you imagining voices that don't exist? Are you responding to invisible straw men?
Re:This is a case of a clueless suit... (Score:2)
My corporation has a S/W libary, I'm not sure exactly how legal this whole concept is, they have a lot of MS and Novell S/W in it to loan out, as well as all the apps we support (It's a tech support sweatshop, we outsource for other corps.). Anyway, I asked them what Linux S/W they had and the guy said they hadn't gotten around to ordering it. I told him I'd happily bring in some of the ISO burns that I had of previous versions, as well as some of the BSD Unixes, and he got white as a ghost. Apparently "Burn" and "CD" in the same sentence sends them into fits, and after several tries at explaining why it's ok to copy and redistribute open source, he still didn't get it, and wanted nothing to do with it unless he had a license agreement to send to the home office.
This is probably some of the same, one person or a department who have never had it explained to them like a 6 year old that you're *supposed* to pass the code around, and in the case of the GPL, required to do so if you release new binaries. Just be polite and don't flood their inbox, RMS will probably be on the horn to the right person and everything will be copacetic again.
Re:Where exactly does it say it's GPL (Score:1)
--
Hey, flame-boy (Score:2)
I said "are they using GPLed code in their product?"
As far as I have seen, they are not. They wrote a piece of software themselves and licensed it themselves. No distribution involved.
Now, if their download INCLUDES something other than their application, it should be mentioned that that is NOT under their license, only their application is.
The download page implies that it includes ONLY their application software and nothing else (ie, Linux distro).
Mike
"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer."
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:1)
But all the noise on Slashdot and elsewhere ought to have by now created some awareness among developers who work at places like Compaq, but still they continue to fail to uphold the GPL. Maybe if they sensed the GPL had some more teeth they might.
Allow me to summarize Slashdot Editor Policy (SEP) (Score:4)
2. Any sort of "cause" that could be taken up with a petition of Slashdot viewers, such as disapproval of Amazon.com's patents, is instead posted without reservation. A very helpful, "What do you guys think?" should be tacked onto the article summary by the editor.
3. If you are posting an article about a product or company doing something with Linux, do not post the article under "Linux." Instead, spread it around to the various other subjects, so that everyone must read about it even if they don't want to read about Linux.
Rinse, repeat.
-thomas
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Re: (Score:1)
depends (Score:1)
Just because any piece of software runs under a GPL system doesn't mean that that software itself is GPL.
License Page Fixed (Score:2)
The license page at http:/ /crl.research.compaq.com/downloads/register.cgi?do wnload=Linux+Jukebox [compaq.com] now shows a copy of the GNU General Public License.
Re:Do Compaq need to beg forgiveness? (Score:2)
Is that freedom in the sense that "only if we like you"?
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:1)
"If we don't take action, they'll think it's ok. So we better sue."
Sure, as Slashdot users we can't sue, but we can flame with the best of them! Right guys?
Sotaku
Re:Seems like GPL. Compiles on FreeBSD. Usefull?.. (Score:2)
Re:Slashdot or National Enquirer? (Score:1)
I suppose that it too much to ask for, is it?
*sigh*
Re:Not quite. (Score:2)
Can I ask a serious question? (Score:2)
And please please please can we have a separate GPL violation category so I can filter out these stories.
--Re:Fresh off the turnip wagon . . . (Score:1)
Well, duh. Slashdot is supported by banner ads. The more page views, the more revenue. The only way /. can make money with all the other news sites and weblogs that it competes with is to exploit controversy. So much for journalism.
Re:Not quite. (Score:2)
In any event, the research lab licensed the whole package under the GPL anyway, so it's a moot point. I just found it kinda interesting.
Link to download without registration (Score:1)
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:3)
This is absurd on multiple levels.
First of all, no one has proven they are violating the GPL. It looks very doubtful at this point.
Second of all, the first thing Compaq would do is send a cease-and-decist letter. They would not (could not) simply launch a jihad against you without giving you a chance to rectify the mistake (if one was made).
And finally, no law has been broken. We're talking about a possible license violation. I'm afraid that doesn't qualify.
Why in the hell your post was modded to +4 I'll never know.
-thomas
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Re:f*cking GPL... (Score:1)
--
Slashdot Dying because of Lax Standards (Score:1)
The sad thing is, there is no excuse. The principal editors are rich, and work full time on the site. VA Linux has more then a few dollars lying around. Both the time and the money exist to do a little fact checking. Yet they don't. I, for one, am puzzled by this.
I used to be happy to point people to Slashdot. Now, I'm embarassed. Slashdot is becoming a laughing stock. If the editors of Slashdot don't take the site seriously, who will?
Re:Oh Lord (Score:2)
Second of all, an IP address can be used to find the person's general location, what ISP they used, and can usually be linked to other page views on other sites for the same day.
This is the price you pay for surfing the web. A small price, I think.
I hope it's clear how an IP address is much more useful for tracking and gaining info about someone, rather than an easily faked email and name.
Again, all these minor, idiotic privacy flaps are like crying wolf. Pretty soon people will tune this stuff out, and a real problem will not get through.
-thomas
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Don't Panic! (Score:1)
The software in question is just some source code and the USB drivers. It's sample code for writing your own app to talk to the device. No linux distribution. No kernel or kernel mods. There's no GPL violation here at all. In fact, the source code is GPL'd itself.
The point is, they're not supporting linux with jukebox software or an encoder, but they're letting everyone roll their own.
Also, the PJB-100 itself doesn't run linux internally...that would be overkill. But still it's really nice. I got mine last month and listen to it every day. I've got about 50 CDs in it right now.
Here's a mirror - It's GPL, go get it... (Score:2)
The software license upon unpacking the ZIP (why, oh, why, Compaq?
The actual code isn't Linux, or any part of it... (Score:4)
Compaq isn't trying to claim ownership of Linux or anything else it doesn't truly own here.
In addition, the complaint in the posted article, that CUSTOMER acknowledges and agrees that COMPAQ owns all rights, title and interests in and to the SOFTWARE and all Intellectual Property Rights therein, is not unreasonable at all. All it says is that Compaq owns the code and you're not going to claim ownership of it yourself. What's so bad about that?
The code is indeed released under the GPV, as is evident from both the README file and the inclusion of the GPV itself in the archive. The legal agreement you have to click through to get the code is a standard Compaq thing that the lawyers no doubt mandate for every download from Compaq. I doubt strongly that it overrides the GPV itself.
(Disclaimer: I work for Compaq, but I'm 5 layers of management below anyone who's authorized to speak for the company, and I work halfway across the continent from the folks who do the PJB.)
--
Sigh (Score:4)
It mentions mp3s, a major company, the letters GPL, the word Linux, and the word violation all in the same sentence. It's sad.
It is really the proper venue for discussing any GPL violation. With all due respect to the readers of this page, a large number of them will do nothing more than FLAME compaq into the ground. Public humiliation should be a last resort, especially if you, by your own admission, aren't even sure if it is a GPL violation (that is, what the license is refering to). It is better to have the FSF, or the owner(s) of the copyrighted code quietly contact Compaq and ask them what's up rather than a have THOUSANDS of people with flame throwers contact them.
Grow up, Slashdot. You are in the big leagues now.
Re:Just transfer software? (Score:1)
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:2)
You can bet that if another company was violating one of compaq's licenses, compaq's lawyers would be in jihad mode before you could blink. By not being aggressive towards companies which violate the GPL, the message sent to companies is that it's okay to violate the GPL and if you're caught all you have to do is comply with it once caught. If any other law were being broken, a simple "okay, I'll stop" would not suffice, and if compaq caught you violating their license I doubt they'd settle for a simple "I'm sorry".
Long term consequences... (Score:1)
So now, Compaq can do one of two things:
If Compaq decided to go route 2, then could they not switch to a BSD variant where they have more licensing control?
I've been curious up to now about all the companies building product around Linux, when the GPL would require they make the source available , except for the documented pieces that aren't touch by the GPL worm. Business does not actually like giving away anything that might be a competitive advantage.
So, my question on long term consequences, could it not be possible that the GPL could infact drive businesses away from using Linux and more toward one of the BSD's?
Just wondering.
Why it was posted on /., Compaq marketing? (Score:2)
The problem here, I think, is that the link to the download page says "Download Linux Source", not "Download Linux Jukebox Source". This might very well have been the case why the article was posted on /. in the first case...
HEY! Is this some marketing thing? Did Compaq post this to /. to get attention??!
Re:What the heck? (Score:1)
Sorry, I understood the article wrong. I really thought the downloadable software was a modified source of Linux.
Re:Repetition may kill slashdot (Score:2)
This can be a good or a bad thing depending on context. Sometimes repetition adds emphasis - a protest march is simply a group of people all doing the same thing - surely it wouldn't be better is only one person marched?
The repetition here should, at the risk of labouring the point, get the message home to the editors of /. that readers are getting a little fed up with provocative but unchecked articles being pumped out. It is, after all, "News" and not "Scandal" on the masthead.
Re:Here's a mirror - It's GPL, go get it... (Score:2)
Tarred and zipped files will wind up being smaller than a bunch of files that were zipped and not tarred.
Zipped files achieve lossless compression because they can eliminate redundant information in each file. However, when you zip up a bunch of files, the zip algorithm doesn't take advantage of redundant information shared between files. If you first tar the files into one big uncompressed file, it lets the zip algorithm take advatange of all the redundancy between all those files because zip thinks it's just one big file now.
That's also one reason why compression systems like WinRAR can acheieve much higher compression than zip if you're compressing a lot of files... when you check off the "solid archive" checkbox in WinRAR, it treats the whole batch of files as one big lump of data.
For example, if file one contains this data: "1234-ABCD-1234-ABCD-1234-ABCD-1234-ABCD" and file two contains this data: "ABCD-ABCD-ABCD" zipping them up wouldn't take advantage of the redundancy between the two and the zip file would unnecessarily contain duplicate copies of "ABCD" for each file. If "ABCD" is a piece of data that's large, then the wastefullness is significant... Remember, in lossless compression, you need still need to store at least one pristine copy of each little chunk of information you're compressing.
Did I do a good job of explaining this? I probably just rambled. :-)
The extra license does; the software is clear (Score:3)
Yeah, I'd say so; the whole package is GPL'd. The only problem here is the extra license, which is default boilerplate people have to click through before any download. It would probably be easier just for the devel group to offer the package outside of Compaq's regular download system. No big deal, really; just the kind of bumps you get when a company that normally deals in proprietary software tries to join the open source world.
Seriously... (Score:3)
For this kind of thing, you should drop a note to bruce at technocrat [technocrat.net]: he knows how to speak lawyer-speak, has lots of experience dealing with it, and has the respect needed to get a foot in the door and begin to solve the problem instead of just screaming and whining (like we tend to do here at
/.- you guys should know better. Posting this kind of stuff here (especially when the original poster has made absolutely no attempt to contact the alleged infringer) does no one any good at all. Get a grip, and when Compaq comes back and says "screw the GPL, yours truly, Compaq" then bring out the masses. Until then, this kind of post does more harm than good.
~luge
Re:They licensed the software under the GPL... (Score:2)
Like I said in another post in this thread, a nice, friendly letter will get this cleared up quickly, but I'm sure the Linux community will create a bad impression as always seems to be the result of these kinds of things.
Self-professed linux zealots flaming those in the name of something which they do not understand. Hopefully someone will send them a nice letter (not you Stallman, you stay away from this).
Mike
"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer."
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:2)
The odd thing about thid is with the download comes a copy of the GPL...
Hopefully I'll get a timely response.
Seeing as you're all too dumb/lazy.... (Score:2)
Slashdot or National Enquirer? (Score:5)
To the wonderful folks of /. : Please please please do a little investigating before posting stuff like this! Even the National Enquirer probably calls Brad Pitt once in a while before posting a story about him having a love child with G. W. Bush.
Re:They licensed the software under the GPL... (Score:2)
Turn off the flame-throwers (Score:5)
For one thing, the software itself is GPL'd - a copy is included with the source. For another, one file - cpqpjb.c - #includes several header files in the kernel source. So the software itself is clear.
It simply looks as if the file was made available for download the same way other chunks of Compaq software are offered, and no one remembered the legal boilerplate people have to agree to for most software.
A simple e-mail to Compaq legal oughta do the trick; it's only a minor error.
Hrm! (Score:2)
Does anyone else find this even somewhat ironic?!
(sigh)
Do some legwork before posting these stories (Score:3)
Oh Lord (Score:2)
Well, it sucks for tracking. Let's see, fake name, freemail address, and you're anonymous.
Actually, your IP address is much better for tracking, and they get that from every request whether you like it or not.
I'm so sick of reading about fake privacy threats.
-thomas
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:3)
~luge
The Readme (Score:2)
------
Compaq Personal Jukebox
Example Filesystem Code
Copyright (C) 2000 Compaq Computer Corporation
NOTE: The Personal Jukebox is not a Compaq product. It was developed
by Compaq Corporate Research and was licensed to Remote Solution.
You can read a little more about the research effort for the PJB
by visiting: http://www.research.digital.com/SRC/pjb
You can purchase a Personal Jukebox by contacting Remote
Solution, or by visiting the web site at http://www.pjbox.com
-----------------------------------------------
This kit is released under the GNU Public License. There should be
a file 'gpl.txt' containing this license. You can read more about
the GPL by visiting http://www.gnu.org
-----------------------------------------------
This kit contains enough code to communicate with and manipulate the
file system of a PJB-100 Personal Jukebox.
It is not a complete Jukebox Manager application. Instead, it is
an open-source version of some of the library routines used in
the PJB's shipping Jukebox Manager. With this library source,
you can write your own Jukebox Manager for Windows, Linux,
or any other operating system that supports USB.
There are some specifications for the file system in the docs/
directory on this kit.
In particular, check out docs/todo.txt.
We hope you find this useful.
Thanks!
Compaq Corporate Research
-----
To get the file, you have to go through a clickwrap licence at
http://crl.research.compaq.com/downloads/downlo
p
(email address hidden to protect the innocent)
it seems that this clickwrap license is generated by a standard(tm) cgi that is on all files you want to download.
The files are accompanied by a file called gpl.txt containing the text to the gpl version 2
Thus, the Clickwrap licence violates the gpl in the file...
probably the hasty work of a web designer that is more a graphist than a sysadmin...
Re:How is this a GPL violation? (Score:2)
Mirror link bad... Go to my URL in my postings! (Score:2)
burn the witches!! (Score:4)
What is their take on the "situation"?
Storm in a teacup... again. (Score:2)
Please, let's not have a repeat of the previous incidents like this. Don't start flaming Compaq into the ground before we've heard their side of the story. Can we please give someone the benefit of the doubt, just this once?
How is this a GPL violation? (Score:4)
So they wrote a piece of software and put their own license on it. It just happens this piece of software is for Linux. Last time I checked, there was no law that stated that EVERY piece of software for Linux had to be GPLed.
I've looked at the page, it's their software, they put their own license on it. Am I missing something here? Are they USING GPLed code in their product?
Mike
"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer."
Lazy, irresponsible journalism (Score:2)
But now that most of you have graduated and are running this as a business, 5 minutes or so of cursory fact-checking might be in order before posting a "story" like this.
Hmmm. Too lazy to check facts. Eager to post inflammatory hearsay. Blind ignorance about some basic technology issues. Isn't that what the Ziff-Davises and CMPs are for? If it were just this once, it wouldn't be a big deal, but this kind of wild inaccuracy now accounts for one in four of the items that make the cut here.
And Rob! You of all people! I expect barn-door-sized editorial gaffes like this from, say Timothy. But you?
Well have to see on this one. (Score:2)
2.2 CUSTOMER agrees not to distribute the SOFTWARE in any form, other than for CUSTOMER's own internal, non-commercial, research purposes.
2.3 CUSTOMER agrees to refrain from and is expressly prohibited from reverse engineering, reverse compilation, disassembly or decomposition of the SOFTWARE.
But if this only applies to software that they completly own there is nothing wrong with it.
The original story indicates that there is incompatibility between copyright (protecting intellectual property) and GPL. In fact GPL is BUILT on copyright. It is the ownership of the copyright to source code under GPL that prevents anyone from violating the GPL. This is in fact what makes it different from public domain.
-Peter
Let's be polite, 'k? (Score:2)
Yes, I know you guys all know this, but somehow it never seems to sink in...
Randall.
Yeah, it does violate the GPL (Score:4)
There is at least some GPL code involved. In the zipfile take a look at the top of usbdrv/cpqpjb.c:
snipSo there is a problem, but I don't know that slashdot is the best place to work it out. Compaq should have at least been contacted first.
--
Re:probably an oversight (Score:5)
Once it percolated to the right layer the lawyers generated new boilerplate and they now slap that on anything containing other people's software.
But yes they should be more careful
Alan
Re:Ask Slashdot: Age verification on the internet (Score:2)
Re:burn the witches!! (Score:3)
because another party's sub-optimal behaviors validate our own, right?
look, we, as a community, are viewed as 'Hackers' (press/non-geek meaning), whackos and such, often with fairly good cause (i like to think of myself as a hacker from time to time
if we do not create our own set of distinctions between us and the people-with-vitamin-d, it will be made for us.
Perhaps, we can make ourselves into the 'better men' in arguments like this one, winning ourselves more respect from the rest of society, as well as a very nice indication that the OS mentality can work even in the realm of wetware networking.
i, for one, think it'd be pretty darn groovy to see our community mature a bit. you know, start setting standards for behavior, not just filetypes and the like. not that those standards are even noticed by anyone. oh, well. ok, let's burn them then...
I'm sure it's either.. (Score:2)
2) at least they are making the source code available. I can remember quite a few companies that hadn't even done that while openly acknowledging the open source roots of their software.
3) a polite line dropped to someone at Compaq would probably have this corrected; I'm sure many of those "polite lines" will result due to this article.
If it's not an oversight, then yes, (IANAL!) I believe Compaq has some issues with that license.
-- Talonius
The Clause is Obviously Worthless... (Score:2)
Don't lose sleep over leagally meaningless verbage.
Re:It does NOT run Linux. (Score:2)
Now if they or someone else does blatantly and deliberately violate the GPL and/or refuse to rectify any mistake, then we can act.
I am one of the first to complain about unethical corporate behavior. But I also believe that not every corporate action is evil - and that some corporations can, in some cases, be an ally.
Re:The facts about the PJB, Linux, the GPL, et al. (Score:2)
Well, I'd agree with the "doesn't even do anything on it's own", the "It's an API!", or even the "not the Linux kernel". However, you've obviously NOT looked into the matter as it is most definitely GPLed:
(From the file, readme.txt, that's inside winjukebox_v_1_0.zip)
Compaq Personal Jukebox
Example Filesystem Code
Copyright (C) 2000 Compaq Computer Corporation
NOTE: The Personal Jukebox is not a Compaq product. It was developed
by Compaq Corporate Research and was licensed to Remote Solution.
You can read a little more about the research effort for the PJB
by visiting: http://www.research.digital.com/SRC/pjb
You can purchase a Personal Jukebox by contacting Remote
Solution, or by visiting the web site at http://www.pjbox.com
-----------------------------------------------
This kit is released under the GNU Public License. There should be
a file 'gpl.txt' containing this license. You can read more about
the GPL by visiting http://www.gnu.org
-----------------------------------------------
Next time, do a little better job of getting the facts before posting...
Er, wait a minute =) (Score:3)
I was under the impression that this was a piece of software that ran on it, completely seperate from the kernel.
In that case, I agree with the fact that it's probably a template for web-based downloads. A friendly letter will probably straighten this out. All you crazy bastards don't go off and fire off flames, although I know a bunch of you are going to do it anyway.
Mike
"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer."
probably an oversight (Score:2)
Two gets you five the broken license was a miscommunication between a management drone and a legal department drone.
What bothers me though is the whole setup: what you do is submit your first and last name, and your e-mail address, and they e-mail you a "personalized Linux Jukebox download URL". How's that for tracking?
--