Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 5 Feb 2003 12:02:48 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 5 Feb 2003 12:02:48 -0500 Received: from pcp701542pcs.bowie01.md.comcast.net ([68.50.82.18]:23764 "EHLO lucifer.gotontheinter.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Wed, 5 Feb 2003 12:02:44 -0500 Subject: Re: Monta Vista software license terms From: Disconnect To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: References: Content-Type: text/plain Organization: Message-Id: <1044464675.783.12.camel@localhost> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.2.1- Date: 05 Feb 2003 12:04:36 -0500 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2794 Lines: 69 IANAL and I'm sure someone will slap me around if this is incorrect in any real way. On Wed, 2003-02-05 at 06:58, Nilmoni Deb wrote: > Note that your obligation is strictly to the recipients of binaries > (i.e., your customers). You have no responsibility to the "community" at > large." >From the GPL faq: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhatDoesWrittenOfferValid What does this "written offer valid for any third party" mean? Does that mean everyone in the world can get the source to any GPL'ed program no matter what? "Valid for any third party" means that anyone who has the offer is entitled to take you up on it. If you commercially distribute binaries not accompanied with source code, the GPL says you must provide a written offer to distribute the source code later. When users non-commercially redistribute the binaries they received from you, they must pass along a copy of this written offer. This means that people who did not get the binaries directly from you can still receive copies of the source code, along with the written offer. The reason we require the offer to be valid for any third party is so that people who receive the binaries indirectly in that way can order the source code from you. ...so if you have no binaries, you aren't entitled to the source code. Many commercial Linux companies offer it anyway (witness Tivo, where the sources are hard to 'click to' but google will turn up a reasonably well organized set of GPL sources used on their devices.) They -could- insist that you prove you are a customer; they -cannot- insist that you prove everyone -you- give it to is a customer.. > In addition: > > 1. There is no linux kernel source in ftp://ftp.mvista.com/ Call them, identify yourself as a customer, -prove it- and then complain.. > 2. The download page http://www.mvista.com/previewkit/index.html does not > claim to offer any source code at all. See above.. actually. Scratch that - if they are offering 'public previews' (haven't hit the site yet) then contact them for sources... you DID try talking to them first, BEFORE trying to start a witchhunt, right? > thanks > - Nil > > - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html > Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/ - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/