2013-09-20 11:29:44

by luke.leighton

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Fwd: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

this is a quick message to let people know that evidence has been
collected of not just knowingly-infringing copyright but *blatant*
copyright infringment [a la "bring it on, fuckers"] by transcend
technologies. does anyone have any recommendations as to whom should
be contacted in order to pursue a copyright violation case against
transcend? as a minor linux kernel source copyright holder they could
easily and simply remove the source code contributions i have made,
but i would still like to pursue them for copyright infringment.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: luke.leighton <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a
long time"
To: Fernando Cassia <[email protected]>
Cc: legal <[email protected]>


On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Fernando Cassia <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sorry if this has been already discussed on this list...
>
> http://hackaday.com/2013/09/19/advanced-transcend-wifi-sd-hacking-custom-kernels-x-and-firefox/
>
> "After all this was done, [Dmitry] finally got a response back from
> one of Transcend’s support engineers. They are “Uninterested” in
> complying with GPL, and he is “free to report this to any Linux
> organization” Ouch! That’s one of the most cavalier GPL violations
> we’ve seen in a long time."

not only that but it would provide the courts with clear evidence of
blatant copyright infringment. the penalties for such are extremely
high.

l.


2013-10-08 14:47:24

by Pavel Machek

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Fwd: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

Hi!

> this is a quick message to let people know that evidence has been
> collected of not just knowingly-infringing copyright but *blatant*
> copyright infringment [a la "bring it on, fuckers"] by transcend
> technologies. does anyone have any recommendations as to whom should
> be contacted in order to pursue a copyright violation case against
> transcend? as a minor linux kernel source copyright holder they could
> easily and simply remove the source code contributions i have made,
> but i would still like to pursue them for copyright infringment.

Umm, they are already distributing code you wrote, too late to remove it now, no?

Anyway, if product is imported into Germany, Harald Welte normally goes after those.

(pardon wrong date).
Pavel


>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: luke.leighton <[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a
> long time"
> To: Fernando Cassia <[email protected]>
> Cc: legal <[email protected]>
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Fernando Cassia <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Sorry if this has been already discussed on this list...
> >
> > http://hackaday.com/2013/09/19/advanced-transcend-wifi-sd-hacking-custom-kernels-x-and-firefox/
> >
> > "After all this was done, [Dmitry] finally got a response back from
> > one of Transcend???s support engineers. They are ???Uninterested??? in
> > complying with GPL, and he is ???free to report this to any Linux
> > organization??? Ouch! That???s one of the most cavalier GPL violations
> > we???ve seen in a long time."
>
> not only that but it would provide the courts with clear evidence of
> blatant copyright infringment. the penalties for such are extremely
> high.
>
> l.
> --
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to [email protected]
> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

--
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

2013-10-08 16:08:25

by Rogelio Serrano

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:29 PM, luke.leighton <[email protected]> wrote:
> this is a quick message to let people know that evidence has been
> collected of not just knowingly-infringing copyright but *blatant*
> copyright infringment [a la "bring it on, fuckers"] by transcend
> technologies. does anyone have any recommendations as to whom should
> be contacted in order to pursue a copyright violation case against
> transcend? as a minor linux kernel source copyright holder they could
> easily and simply remove the source code contributions i have made,
> but i would still like to pursue them for copyright infringment.
>
>

I dont think the majority of linux kernel developers care about
enforcement at all. Its virtually public domain as far as i can see,
Linus himself will not run after violators.

Any company out there is free to do what they want.

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: luke.leighton <[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a
> long time"
> To: Fernando Cassia <[email protected]>
> Cc: legal <[email protected]>
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Fernando Cassia <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Sorry if this has been already discussed on this list...
>>
>> http://hackaday.com/2013/09/19/advanced-transcend-wifi-sd-hacking-custom-kernels-x-and-firefox/
>>
>> "After all this was done, [Dmitry] finally got a response back from
>> one of Transcend’s support engineers. They are “Uninterested” in
>> complying with GPL, and he is “free to report this to any Linux
>> organization” Ouch! That’s one of the most cavalier GPL violations
>> we’ve seen in a long time."
>
> not only that but it would provide the courts with clear evidence of
> blatant copyright infringment. the penalties for such are extremely
> high.
>
> l.
> --
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to [email protected]
> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

2013-10-13 12:03:10

by Pavel Machek

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

On Tue 2013-10-08 17:08:22, Rogelio Serrano wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:29 PM, luke.leighton <[email protected]> wrote:
> > this is a quick message to let people know that evidence has been
> > collected of not just knowingly-infringing copyright but *blatant*
> > copyright infringment [a la "bring it on, fuckers"] by transcend
> > technologies. does anyone have any recommendations as to whom should
> > be contacted in order to pursue a copyright violation case against
> > transcend? as a minor linux kernel source copyright holder they could
> > easily and simply remove the source code contributions i have made,
> > but i would still like to pursue them for copyright infringment.
> >
> >
>
> I dont think the majority of linux kernel developers care about
> enforcement at all. Its virtually public domain as far as i can see,
> Linus himself will not run after violators.
>
> Any company out there is free to do what they want.

Not sure what you are smoking but it must be pretty strong stuff.

Pavel
--
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

2013-10-15 06:42:58

by Rogelio Serrano

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 1:02 PM, Pavel Machek <[email protected]> wrote:

>>
>> I dont think the majority of linux kernel developers care about
>> enforcement at all. Its virtually public domain as far as i can see,
>> Linus himself will not run after violators.
>>
>> Any company out there is free to do what they want.
>
> Not sure what you are smoking but it must be pretty strong stuff.
>
> Pavel
> --
> (english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
> (cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

I was led to believe this in the busybox list. maybe we are communally
smoking the same stuff. Linux Kernel Developers would rather go on
developing better code than waste time on enforcement. Some even think
it is counter productive to adoption of linux.

Transcend most likely knows this.

You have a piece of code under the GPL and the majority of the
copyright holders say they will not enforce it. Thats virtually public
domain code. Thats why i stopped contributing to the linux kernel and
opted to maintain a massive patch instead.

2013-10-15 07:48:52

by Mats Liljegren

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

> I was led to believe this in the busybox list. maybe we are communally
> smoking the same stuff. Linux Kernel Developers would rather go on
> developing better code than waste time on enforcement. Some even think
> it is counter productive to adoption of linux.
>
> Transcend most likely knows this.
>
> You have a piece of code under the GPL and the majority of the
> copyright holders say they will not enforce it. Thats virtually public
> domain code. Thats why i stopped contributing to the linux kernel and
> opted to maintain a massive patch instead.

I think it is sad that you take this decision purely based on the fact
that by contributing to the Linux kernel you will not get help to
enforce the GPL license for your code.

I'm a little bit curious however: In what way do you now have better
ways to enforce the GPL license of your code now that you maintain a
massive patch? Is it that you never show it to the public?

2013-10-15 11:10:05

by Pavel Machek

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

On Tue 2013-10-15 07:42:56, Rogelio Serrano wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 1:02 PM, Pavel Machek <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> I dont think the majority of linux kernel developers care about
> >> enforcement at all. Its virtually public domain as far as i can see,
> >> Linus himself will not run after violators.
> >>
> >> Any company out there is free to do what they want.
> >
> > Not sure what you are smoking but it must be pretty strong stuff.
>
> I was led to believe this in the busybox list. maybe we are communally
> smoking the same stuff. Linux Kernel Developers would rather go on
> developing better code than waste time on enforcement. Some even think
> it is counter productive to adoption of linux.

Well... yes, busybox people are more agressive with enforcement, but
this does not mean linux kernel is public domain. It only takes one
contributor to enforce GPL...

Harald Welte does that job for Germany, and if someone includes nbd
(network block device) in their GPL-violation, they may get some fun
with me.

> Transcend most likely knows this.

Do they import in Germany?

Pavel
--
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

2013-10-28 00:28:46

by Rob Landley

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Transcend's "one of the most cavalier GPL violations in a long time"

On 10/15/2013 01:42:56 AM, Rogelio Serrano wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 1:02 PM, Pavel Machek <[email protected]> wrote:
> You have a piece of code under the GPL and the majority of the
> copyright holders say they will not enforce it. Thats virtually public
> domain code. Thats why i stopped contributing to the linux kernel and
> opted to maintain a massive patch instead.

So in response to other people not pushing their code upstream, you
stopped pushing any of your code upstream.

That'll show 'em!

Rob-