Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sat, 7 Jun 2003 21:53:14 -0600 | From | Erik Andersen <> | Subject | Re: Linksys WRT54G and the GPL |
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On Sat Jun 07 2003 - 21:41:23 EST, Andrew Miklas wrote: > Awhile ago, I mentioned that the Linksys WRT54G wireless access > point used several GPL projects in its firmware, but did not > seem to have any of the source available, or acknowledge the > use of the GPLed software. Four weeks [--------snip-----------]
> Incidentally, there is at least one other GPLed project in the > firmware: > the BusyBox userland component: (http://www.busybox.net/)
<BusyBox maintainer hat on>
I went through a similar exercise several weeks ago when I saw the thread on the l-k mailing list. It took just a fix minutes to extract the linux kernel and cramfs filesystem from their firmware. Linksys is indeed shipping BusyBox and the Linux kernel without releasing source in violation of the GPL. I had my lawyer (it helps to have a lawyer for a Dad) send them a rather polite but firm letter about 3 weeks ago. No response. So he has now sent them a second letter... Assuming we again get no response, Linksys is going to find themselves in court in the very near future.
I like Linksys and I have several of their products. Nobody forced them to use Linux. Nobody forced them to use BusyBox. But when they made the choice to use them, they committed themselves to abiding by the law. And the law says then when companies violate software licenses and don't take care of the problem when asked politely, they have to pay my Dad lots of money for the legal time it takes him to sue their pants off... :-)
-Erik
-- Erik B. Andersen http://codepoet-consulting.com/ --This message was written using 73% post-consumer electrons-- - 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/
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