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Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 15:48:00 +0200
To: Rik van Riel <riel@conectiva.com.br>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: source code & licensing of LinuxDA
Message-ID: <20010725154800.A1067@bombe.modem.informatik.tu-muenchen.de>
Reply-To: Andreas Bombe <andreas.bombe@munich.netsurf.de>
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From: Andreas Bombe <andreas@bombe.modem.informatik.tu-muenchen.de>
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On Mon, Jul 23, 2001 at 08:25:07PM -0300, Rik van Riel wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I saw on http://www.linuxda.com/download/index.html
> that you are shipping binary images of Linux, but
> without the source code.  This is in violation of
> the GPL, a matter which won't be taken lightly by
> the hundreds of copyright holders involved.

I also found that last Friday.  At that point, they had a downloadable
demo for Palm IIIx without source (plus sections on the download page
for Palm Vx and source code, both with the comment "coming soon").

I asked them for source code at their only listed email
feedback@linuxda.com.  I got a pretty quick response from
support@linuxda.com that it will be coming soon and I should revisit
their web page to find out.  To that I responded with an email
explaining the situation they got into and asked to upload the source
before I would tell this list, leaving them some slack because of the
weekend.

I have still not received any email response.  On their web site, they
added a demo for Palm Vx but still no source code.

> Also http://www.linuxda.com/licensing/index.html
> and http://www.linuxda.com/legal.html seem to have
> licensing terms which are incompatible with the
> GPL, meaning that you either have to change the
> license or stop shipping Linux ...
>
> In particular the paragraphs "SINGLE COPY LICENSE",
> "OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS" and "TERMINATION OF THIS
> LICENSE" are a gross violation of the GPL.

They have a small statement hidden under "OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS" saying
that contained open source software is distributed under their own
respective licenses.  That's of course way too buried and a
contradiction.


Oh, and for all you conspiracy theorists out there:

"Empower Technologies Inc., an innovative company based out of Redmond,
Washington."
  -- http://www.linuxda.com/aboutlinuxda/index.html

Redmond and innovation.  Now if that's not suspicious...

-- 
Andreas E. Bombe <andreas.bombe@munich.netsurf.de>    DSA key 0x04880A44
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