Still, the question is if this company is violating the GPL. We have no proof of that. (The gpl-violations.org guys go after people who are not honoring the release of source for both distributed and derived works - typically in embedded systems. Usually they settle when the company honors the GPL and provides source or stops distributing the offending product.)
At this stage it appears that they are simply selling a binary distribution of a set of OSS applications. As mentioned before, ethics or questionable business practices aside, we need to focus on what they are actually violating. Even the wikipedia screen shots are licensed under the GPL can be re-used freely. Regards... Matthew On 11/21/08, Arnt Karlsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:37:18 -0500, Matthew wrote in message > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> Unfortunately, the GPL doesn't account for emotion. For those who >> have met RMS, interpersonal relationships don't really fit... Certain >> rights are gained, others are given up. >> >> The best we can hope for is that they are interested in being a part >> of a community, the worst we should expect is that they add no value >> and sell it as a package. > > ..in this case I think we have an excellent opportunity to stand up > for the GPL by "enforcing it", copyright law and criminal law. ;o) > >> I don't believe that FG I structured in a way to be able to receive >> funds as an organization, and consequently we can only hope that they >> will be a good community member and sponsor and assist where they can. >> >> If people want me to slueth around and find some more info and > > ..by all means go ahead. ;o) > >> possibly reach out, please advise. > > ..here I'd like the copyright owners to weigh in, me, I recommend > hiring a lawyer for this job, to make sure we get it _right_. ;o) > > ..given http://www.idbproductions.com/Products/ and > http://idbproductions.com/catalog/ this is _not_ just us, so I'd > have Harald Welte and the guys at http://gpl-violations.org/ > weigh in with advice on how to proceed. I cc this there. > > ..playing with dig, jwhois and a web browser and the > names I find, it's _amazing_ how I get thrown back to: > http://idbproductions.com/catalog/ ;o) > >> Regards... Matthew >> >> >> On 11/20/08, Tatsuhiro Nishioka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > Hi, >> > >> > For clarifying my position, I don't care if they sell flightfear. >> > But I do care if that affects our project in either technically or >> > emotionally. According to some threads or posts in the list and the >> > forum, it seems that many developers and users do not like the >> > current situation. >> > >> > I guess the problem is they don't make any communication with us >> > including contribution. I do welcome some third parties sell >> > flightgear if they are friendly and hopefully make a contribution. >> > Needless to say they need to observe the GPL thingies. >> > >> > You can pack everything into either DVD or thumb drive and sell it >> > as long as it doesn't brake any legal issue. >> > >> > But... For me it's more on human relation issue. As long as they are >> > friendly and actively open to us, then we can collaborate and make >> > flightfear better from both open source and bussiness aspects. >> > >> > I think there is still much room in improving the usability, >> > functionality, and quality of flightgear. If marchants can collect >> > such needs and give some offers and feedback (preferably in >> > implementation, but just an idea is OK) to flightgear community, >> > that'll be super good. >> > >> > Look forward to seeing reply from them, >> > >> > Tat >> > >> > p.s. >> > Sorry for full quote. I'm writing on iPhone. this fun tool is >> > missing copy-past and cut-paste things. >> > >> > On Nov 21, 2008, at 10:16 AM, "Matthew Tippett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > wrote: >> > >> >> One thing to be *very* careful of is assuming that flightgear has >> >> some absolute right to control what happens downstream. If this >> >> company is honoring it's responsibilities under the GPL, there is >> >> nothing that the FG community can do to prevent it happening. >> >> >> >> The GPL enshrines those rights to the recipient, and by extension >> >> you give up the right of control as an author when you allow code >> >> to be distributed under the GPL. >> >> >> >> The main thing that the GPL prevents is 'flightsimpro' creating a >> >> flightsim that has unique features and linking it into the the main >> >> binary and preventing the release of that. But if the developer is >> >> keeping their stuff separate (say an advanced-clean room >> >> implementation of terrasync using different scenery, or a bridge >> >> to a different flight sim network), again they have done nothing >> >> wrong by the GPL (distribution of aggregations is a confusing >> >> area). >> >> >> >> Contact with this company would clarify most of this quickly. >> >> >> >> (A parasite isn't always violating the GPL - a lot of X and kernel >> >> developers call Ubuntu a parasite since they don't contribute a >> >> proportional amount upstream.) >> >> >> >> Regards... Matthew >> >> >> >> >> >> On 11/20/08, Stuart Buchanan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> --- On Thu, 20/11/08, Curtis Olson wrote: >> >>>> Someone pointed out this site to me. It probably falls into >> >>>> the category of just barely ok, but I thought I'd post the link >> >>>> here to get some more eyes on it. >> >>>> >> >>>> http://flight-aviator.com/ >> >>>> >> >>> >> >>> One way to discourage this sort of thing would be to include >> >>> "www.flightgear.org" prominently in the startup screens, in the >> >>> same way that we include "initializing sub-systems", >> >>> "initializing scenery". >> >>> >> >>> Possibly with an added message along the lines of "Welcome to >> >>> FlightGear, >> >>> the free open source flight simulator." >> >>> >> >>> That would force the rip-off merchants to at least compile the >> >>> code, rather than simply replacing some .pngs! >> >>> >> >>> -Stuart >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> --- >> >>> --- >> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's >> >>> challenge >> >>> Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win >> >>> great >> >>> prizes >> >>> Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in >> >>> the world >> >>> http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ >> >>> _______________________________________________ >> >>> Flightgear-devel mailing list >> >>> Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >> >>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel >> >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Sent from my mobile device >> >> >> >> --- >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's >> >> challenge >> >> Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win >> >> great prizes >> >> Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in >> >> the world >> >> http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Flightgear-devel mailing list >> >> Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >> >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel >> > >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's >> > challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin >> > SDK & win great prizes >> > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in >> > the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Flightgear-devel mailing list >> > Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel >> > >> > > > -- > ..med vennlig hilsen = with Kind Regards from Arnt... ;o) > ...with a number of polar bear hunters in his ancestry... > Scenarios always come in sets of three: > best case, worst case, and just in case. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great > prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ > Flightgear-devel mailing list > Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel > -- Sent from my mobile device ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel
