On Fri, 25 Oct 2013 11:35:57 +0200, Nils wrote in message <[email protected]>:
> Am 24.10.2013 16:56, schrieb James Hilliard: > > The Chinese ZTE company appears to be ignoring GPL requirements in > > numerous markets especially in Europe. They appear to manufacture > > numerous routers/DSL modems that use the linux kernel and they do > > not distribute any source code for anything as far as I can tell or > > provide any GPL written offers. I have done an analysis of some of > > their DSL modems that all appear to be using the Linux kernel and > > likely other GPL code. When contacted they appear uncooperative in > > fixing this issue but admit that the routers use Linux. > > Oh great, I mean the case of ZTE :( > > But this is something that is pretty common for Chinese hardware > makers > - look at all those cheap Android devices floating around. For most of > them you do not get anything and I am almost sure that most even run > without proper licensing of the multi media codecs too. > > It is pretty hard to enforce this. ..bull. The ZTE etc phones you see in malls etc shops, you buy from "that shop", not from ZTE etc. So go after the shops. Linux is found not just in ZTE cell phones, but also Samsung phones, Linksys routers, TV sets, stoves, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc. So, ask your shop for ZTE GPL source, and tell them about S/W piracy law enforcement and recycling costs. ;o) > Within China you have basically no > chance. Within a western country the best thing one could do is to > threaten the maker with an import embargo. This could be achieved when > the issue is taken to the local offcials dealing with "intellectual > property rights". But this has only seldomly been done, as far as I > know. And for all the small makers it would not help either - once you > achieved one embargo they will simply switch the brand/name/model and > off they go again - been there, seen that. For a large company like > ZTE that wants to get more ground in western countries now (which > used to be a China/Asia only brand) this could though be a little > different case. > > But yes, this really aggravates me too for some time, that Asian > manufacturers basically ignore most of it, making a business from it > and thus have an unfair competetive advantage compared to western > makers that (have to) respect it. > > Cheers > nils > > -- ..med vennlig hilsen = with Kind Regards from Arnt Karlsen ...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.
