Re: Circumventing the GPL

[Alexander Terekhov]

Hyman Rosen wrote:
> 
> Alexander Terekhov wrote:
> > Hyman Rosen wrote:
> >> For most of 2007, Actiontec FIOS routers were being shipped
> >
> > Verizon's FiOS router firmware download page says (in BOLD red text):
> >                       Verizon FiOS router
> > and displays a note:
> > Note: This firmware update is applicable to both Actiontec and Verizon
> > branded FiOS Routers.
> 
> Right. And the source code for the firmware is available
> from Actiontec. A company label on a piece of hardware
> doesn't affect the GPL status of software. As I have
> pointed out before, the firmware download URL on the
> Verizon site includes "actiontec gateway" in it; it's
> quite possible that the firmware is being served directly
> from Actiontec.
> 
> In any event, it's the BusyBox copyright holders who need
> to be satisfied, and they seem to be, or they would not have
> dropped the suit.

Did you check the equality of Verizon's FiOS router firmware with the
one (partly available in source code) from Actiontec? Even if yes and
yes, imagine that it changes tomorrow... recall that the case against
Verizon was dismissed WITH PREJUDICE by the SFLC and res judicata is now
in full effect in favour of Verizon and to the detriment of
SFLC/Busybox. Now imagine that Actiontec ships "Verizon's FiOS router"
boxes to Verizon and only Verizon (fully fulfilling the GPL obligations
by providing the source code to its customer Verizon)... not end users.
Who is supposed to provide the source code to you?

regards,
alexander.

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