Allnet GmbH resolves iptables GPL violation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
---------------------
Of interest to editors and journalists covering: Linux, Free Software, Open
Source, Wireless Networks, Network Security

NETFILTER/IPTABLES PROJECT REACHES OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT ON THE INFRINGEMENT
OF THEIR COPYRIGHT BY ALLNET GMBH

BERLIN, Germany - Feb. 17, 2004 -- The netfilter/iptables project
(http://www.netfilter.org/) announces out-of-court settlement with Allnet GmbH
(http://www.allnet.de/) on Allnet's infringing use of copyrighted material.

Allnet was offering two products, a wireless access router and a load-balancing
DSL router, both including software developed by the netfilter/iptables
project.

However, Allnet did not fulfill the obligations of the GNU General
Public License covering the netfilter/iptables software.  Specifically,
Allnet did not make any source code offering or include the GPL license
terms with their products.

Allnet has now agreed to adhere to all clauses of the license and inform its
customers about their respective rights and obligations of the GPL.  It will
further refrain from offering any new netfilter/iptables based products
without adhering to the GPL.

"We are very happy with the cooperative manner of Allnet in which this issue
 was resolved and an amicable agreement reached", 
notes Harald Welte, the Chairman of the Netfilter Core Team.

As part of the aggreement, Allnet will make a significant donation to
two tax-exempt non-for-profit organizations established under german
law: 
The Free Software Foundation Europe (http://www.fsfeurope.org/), and the 
Foundation of a Free Information Infrastructure (http://www.ffii.org/).  

About the netfilter/iptables project

The netfilter/iptables project provides state-of-the-art network
security software for Linux firewalling, packet filter and network
address translation (NAT), distributed as Free Software under the terms
of the GNU General Public License.  Being part of the linux operating
system kernel, the software is running on virtually every Linux installation.

For more information on the project or the software, visit
http://www.netfilter.org/

About ALLNET GmbH
 
Allnet GmbH is manufacturer and distributor of networking equipment, including
switches, routers, NICs and wireless adapters.

Media contact:
Harald Welte
Phone: +49-30-24033902
Email: laforge@netfilter.org
-- 
- Harald Welte <laforge@netfilter.org>             http://www.netfilter.org/
============================================================================
  "Fragmentation is like classful addressing -- an interesting early
   architectural error that shows how much experimentation was going
   on while IP was being designed."                    -- Paul Vixie

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