Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction [LWN.net]

Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

Posted Apr 15, 2004 18:52 UTC (Thu) by QuisUtDeus (guest, #14854)
In reply to: Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction by QuisUtDeus
Parent article: Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

I have heard people talk about an "advertising clause" and that it was not compatible with the GPL. Maybe I am mis-remembering parts of different thoughts. Including a GPL notice for all (or for each?) GPL packages in the device sounds like a very clear advertising clause, at least for the GPL itself. I guess advertising clauses are not a problem after all?

This would seem to make it a hefty task for someone packaging a Linux system: naming every GPL package and offering to provide the source for each one. I don't know that I have ever seen that, unless it is on a CD included, and the user would have to know to look there to find them all in the directory structure.

So, what about SiteBuilder (or anyone) using the rest of the GPL code that is in the system? Netfilter is pressing the issue for their package, but the vendor could expect many more to happen as well if it doesn't do something similar for all other GPL'ed packages.

(Log in to post comments)

Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

Posted Apr 15, 2004 19:44 UTC (Thu) by dlang (subscriber, #313) [Link]

they don't need to print anything at all about linux or the GPL in any documentation if the CD that comes with the product includes the source.

if they don't do this a simple 'this product contains software licenced by the GPL, for details see http.......'

they don't have to list each package individually in their documentation, just on the web/ftp site that contains the source.

Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

Posted Apr 15, 2004 20:20 UTC (Thu) by marduk (subscriber, #3831) [Link]

This is not difficult. Commercial licenses are done this way all the time. You see a page, or About dialog or whatever with various (broad) copyright notices. It shouldn't be that difficult to add a GPL notice something to the tune of "Contains software licensed under the GPL. A copy of the GPL can be found at ..."

Yeah, most people won't even read this (who really reads copyright notices), but the point it those who are looking for it will find it and know that it's GPLed and the source is available.

I'm not sure if that fits under advertising. What exactly is advertising?

Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

Posted Apr 16, 2004 2:49 UTC (Fri) by mbp (guest, #2737) [Link]

Distributing source for GPL'd components is a pretty easy task compared to building the system in the first place.

Whatever configuration-management or build system you use to assemble the system presumably knows the names of all the open-source packages that go into it.

(Hopefully you are not just installing random things by hand with no traceability. If you are, you have more urgent problems than licence compliance.)

A sane setup for building Linux appliances is to have a version-controlled (CVS, SVN, ClearCase) directory containing all the open source components as tarballs plus any patches you need to apply. When making a release, you just need to build an ISO image from that directory and either pop it in the box, or put it up on your web site. In addition, add a note to the documentation telling people where to get the source. 20 lines of shell. Too easy.

Netfilter gets a GPL-enforcement injunction

Posted Apr 16, 2004 4:36 UTC (Fri) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link]

The old BSD advertising clause required that in every advertisement for the product, a line like "contains software from the University of California, Berkeley" (or someone else) appear. Not just in the product itself, but in any advertisement.