Hello all! OK, this gets interesting... The device in question is the Vodafone EasyBox 904 LTE.
Its firmware can be downloaded from the already mentioned public download link http://media.vodafone.de/www/assets/software/FW904/UEfullimage_AT904L-01.07.bin which sits behind a legal disclaimer http://www.vodafone.de/business/hilfe-support/support-firmware-easybox-904-lte-modem_209581.html#rights which pretty clearly already violates the GPL/LGPL licenses since it denies the right to pass on the free software contained in the device. And of course no mention about the free software contained. The firmware "bin" file is a UBoot uImage format binary containing a LZMA compressed SquashFS which can easily be uncompressed by the latest SquashFS Utils. Besides busybox (GPL) it contains at least a dozen of other components that are also either GPL or LGPL licensed. A major one are large parts of OpenWRT, in /etc/ one can find: openwrt_version: 10.03.1-RC5 openwrt_release: DISTRIB_ID="OpenWrt" DISTRIB_RELEASE="10.03" DISTRIB_CODENAME="backfire" DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="OpenWrt Backfire 10.03" The manual (German) of the device which can be found here http://media.vodafone.de/www/assets/pdf/hilfe-und-support/services/EasyBox_904_LTE_-_Handbuch_Stand_20.6.2012.pdf reproduces on page 170 the full GPL version 3 license text but omits the "written offer" to request the sourcecode and where to do so. The manual also mentions a company Astoria networks GmbH Koelner Strasse 10b, 65760 Eschborn as the manufacturer of the device. They again have a web page dedicated to the EasyBox 904 LTE and open source sourcecodes contain therein http://www.astorianetworks.com/astoria/Easybox%20904%20LTE.html But there is no code! Just a "coming soon". Same is BTW true for their other product, the "Livebox 2.1". So for me the case is pretty clear now. There is a *massive* GPL/LGPL violation going on. Vodafone is ignoring the GPL/LGPL almost completely. And the manufacturer "Astoria" has recognised that they need to offer the sources but they do not do it either. Since Vodafone is the company actually openly distributing the device containing the compiled versions of the software and is also offering the compiled version in the form of a binary file for public download (see above) they are actively violating the GPL/LGPL. Cheers nils Am 21.06.2013 18:54, schrieb Neil Brown: > On 21 Jun 2013, at 15:12, Nils Faerber <[email protected]> wrote: > > Enrico, Nils > >> Please post more follow-ups concerning the >> Vodafone Easybox case to the legal list > > You are more than welcome to email your concerns to [email protected], > and I can try to find an appropriate contact within Vodafone DE? > > Just please bear in mind that I don't work for Vodafone DE, nor do I have any > knowledge of this particular product. (Similarly, when I post on this list, I > do so in my personal capacity, as someone interested in the legal issues > around FOSS, and not as an employee / spokesman of Vodafone.) > > > Best wishes, > > Neil -- Nils Faerber Buehlstr. 156 57080 Siegen https://www.fpresso.de
