BusyBox settles another lawsuit [LWN.net]

BusyBox settles another lawsuit

Posted Mar 6, 2008 22:53 UTC (Thu) by csawtell (guest, #986)
In reply to: BusyBox settles another lawsuit by macson_g
Parent article: BusyBox settles another lawsuit

I'd suggest you read section 3 of the GPL version 2. Section 3b would appear to apply to your situation.

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;

Notes:

It says: "a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code". This means that link to some other generic source of the code packages you used in youra device is not considered sufficient. A copy of the exact source code - possibly after modifications by you - is required.
You have to make the GPL code to all your customers, but not necessarily to all members of the general public, but remember that you cannot stop your customers copying and publishing your code package.

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BusyBox settles another lawsuit

Posted Mar 7, 2008 4:44 UTC (Fri) by djao (subscriber, #4263) [Link]

Actually, if you read the text of Section 3b that you posted, it says explicitly that the offer of source code must be extended to "any third party." In other words, under Section 3b, you really must make the source code available to the general public, not just your own customers.

If for some reason you desperately want to make source code available only to your customers, you can do this under the GPL, but you must choose Section 3a of the GPL instead of Section 3b.