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On Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 2:56 AM, BRM <bm_witness@yahoo.com> wrote:
----- Original Message ----

From: Simos Xenitellis <simos.lists@googlemail.com>
To: discuss@documentfoundation.org
Sent: Thu, June 16, 2011 6:31:25 PM
Subject: OFF TOPIC about GPL enforcement (Was: Re: [tdf-discuss] Re:
[Libreoffice] Proposal to join Apache OpenOffice)

On Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 1:03 AM, Greg Stein <gstein@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu,  Jun 16, 2011 at 17:54, Simos Xenitellis
<simos.lists@googlemail.com>  wrote:
...
The key thing being "that person". That  person is most likely not You,
the developer who is contributing  to the software. Thus, You won't get
those changes unless "that  person" decides to pass them back to you.

So you  don't necessarily have a "right" to the code. You are relying
on  the goodwill of "that person" to help you out. Of course, they
 might not even know who you are. They might not care. They might  not
ever ask for the source  code.


It's a common misconception. If a  TV uses Linux (most LCD/LED TV use
Linux),
you do not need to show  evidence you bought one in order to ask for
the Linux source  code.

See the GPLv2 (per Linux kernel) license  text,
 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.txt

 “Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years,
 to give **any third party**, for a charge no more than your
cost of  physically performing source distribution,”

That written offer  goes to the recipient (your statement comes from
3(b), which is  dependent upon the primary part of (3), which talks
about distributions  to a recipient). The recipient does not need to
transfer or pass that  offer to third parties.


Here is the full sentence, omitting some  details for clarity:

a. You [i.e. manufacturer, etc] may copy and  distribute the Program,
b. in object code or executable form
c. provided  that you also
d. accompany it with a written offer
e. to give **any**  third party
f. a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source  code

Again, you're relying on the goodwill of the recipient to get  changes
returned.


Anyone can get a copy of the source code for  copyleft software.


Please read:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#RedistributedBinariesGetSource

Directly from the FSF, authors of the GPL. You must have a copy of the written
offer in order to be entitled to receipt of the source.

Tell me which LCD/LED TV  you have (brand,  model), and I'll get for
you the source code (of the copyleft)  software.

Only if you also have a copy of the written offer are they required to do so.
See above.


So, what you are telling me is that if a manufacturer is already
violating the GPL,
then a third party cannot ask for the source code?
Is this a claim that the GPL is not enforceable?

If a product is violating the GPL, then you can ask
http://gpl-violations.org/ for assistance
so that the manufacturer makes available the source code as required,
for the full range of products.

For my TV, I click on
a. Yellow button (documentation)
b. (It's already on the Get started menu)
c. Select "Open source Licenses".

That's it.

Simos

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