Some have claimed to release a product called Ekush a Windows replacement Operating System. The problem is that it uses code from ReactOS, Wine, Qemu and Freetype without obeying the GPL or LGPL that ReactOS and Wine use as their license.
Ekush Emulator And its License Pains
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According to that page :
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Most probably a Microsoft smoke screen. Typical thing that Microsoft would do, in order to try and get the GPL into court and try and invalidate it.
Dave W Pastern
Looks like someone posted it on slashdot this morning at 9:30 AM:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/10/1320231&tid=201&tid=190…
Typical thing that Microsoft would do
How is that, can you tell of other things MS did that are like this?
Do you seriously think that Microsoft, as big as they are, would engage in something like faking products like this???
You have a huge tinfoil hat, my friend.
http://blight.eu.org/reactos/ekush.html
Seriously, copying code from ReactOS (a well known WinNT clone), Wine, Qemu and Freetype, and trying to sell it is just plain stupid. The greater community isn’t that stupid, and would spot it a mile away…
Than add to the fact that they bundle a M$ produced binary (fdc.sys) with mangled copyright strings, is justing asking to go down, and go down hard…
In a way, the ReactOS team should just get M$ lawyers to handle it (simply based on the repackaging of the M$ floppy driver). And if anything is left over, ask the FSF for help…
it’s simple theft. The licenses of the various software packages are simple and easy to follow; their terms aren’t onerous; and the people developing the various packages are generous with their time and energy.
It’s ingratitude, it’s misappropriation, and it deserves to be smacked down as hard as any normal “software piracy”.
Well… they can grab *any* code they want, but needs to stay under the GPL, so they jest have to publish the source code.
Do you remember the XviD vs. Sigma Designs ? Well, check out the download page:
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/RMP4_download.htm
Perfectly legal !
So, if they publish the code, they can do it.
HaPpY CoDiNg !
1. They removed all copyright notices, which is illegal and has nothing to do with the license the source code/binaries of ReactOS and wine are published under. The creators still own copyright, no matter which license unless we explicitly publish the code/binaries as public domain.
2. If they published the sources it would’ve been legal, as long as they don’t change/fake copyright.
AFAIK they can remove any comments in the code ’cause is a part of the code itself (so it can be modified).
They can’t change/remove the GPL license file and they must publish the sources.
Any different opinion ?
No, they’re not allowed to fake or remove copyright information, neither in binaries nor in sources. Again, copyright is still valid, which means the authors have all rights on the source and are entitled to change license or disclose their work at any time (of course all contributors are required to agree).
The GPL is on top of copyright law (which is generally applicable unless work has been published as public domain explicitly) and just gives everyone certain rights what to do with the code or binaries
“The GPL is on top of copyright law (which is generally applicable unless work has been published as public domain explicitly) and just gives everyone certain rights what to do with the code or binaries”
Yes, but copying a version without including the GPL is not among the rights granted by the GPL, so the GPL just doesn’t cover that case. Which brings copyright back into game, which doesn’t give you any rights to copy anything –> copyright violation.