Weakened license protection

Posted Mar 23, 2025 7:09 UTC (Sun) by Wol (subscriber, #4433)
In reply to: Weakened license protection by himi
Parent article: Oxidizing Ubuntu: adopting Rust utilities by default

> Unless the car manufacturers are modifying the code, the only requirement for GPL compliance is documenting that they got it from upstream;

"6. Conveying Non-Source Forms.

You may convey a covered work in object code form under the terms of sections 4 and 5, provided that you also convey the machine-readable Corresponding Source under the terms of this License, in one of these ways:

a) Convey the object code in, or embodied in, a physical product (including a physical distribution medium), accompanied by the Corresponding Source fixed on a durable physical medium customarily used for software interchange."

Have you read the GPL? Have you understood it? I haven't quoted the entirety of section 6, but if you are a business there is a hell of a lot more than just "documenting you got it from upstream". You - CORPORATELY - are on the hook for making sure your customer can get the source. And that is expensive administrative hassle companies would much rather avoid.

There are "sort of" getouts, 6c, and 6e, but they're not aimed at corporates, and they still come with grief companies don't want. I've only just noticed 6e, but unless the company controls that location, they're probably not complying with it, and if they do control it it's more hassle that again they don't want.

Cheers,
Wol