LWN.net Logo

Please read the GPL before talking

Please read the GPL before talking

Posted Dec 8, 2007 2:36 UTC (Sat) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: BusyBox developers go after Verizon by pizza
Parent article: BusyBox developers go after Verizon

Even if it's not, it's certianly plausible that only Busybox has been modified from the other set of GPL sources they provide on that site.

It does not matter if source is modified or not: 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 ... 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.) Emphasis mine: you can only transfer source code offer if you only got offer instead of the original source and if it's noncommercial distribution.

Now if someone sends Actiontec $15 and the CD doesn't contain everything it's supposed to... then you can wag the finger at 'em and toss 'em to the legal wolves.

Verizon must provide the CD, not Actiontec - and I hope SFLC asked them to send the copy of said CD first...


(Log in to post comments)

Please read the GPL before talking

Posted Dec 8, 2007 2:57 UTC (Sat) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link]

I believe the source-code web page they were talking about is the 
Actiontec one mentioned above, so the question raised was whether Actiontec was meeting its
obligations (that is, away from the topic of the original story).

I don't think anyone in this chain has claimed that Verizon has made an offer to provide
source.

Copyright © 2013, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds