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MusicCity's Morpheus violating GPL

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the now-thats-not-right dept.

dotslash writes "The new Morpheus Preview Edition client [download.com] is actually just a fork of Gnucleus an open source GPLd Gnutella client. Upon installation Morpheus PE displays the GPL and asks the user to accept. It is currently being distributed without source in violation of article 3 of the GPL. Gnucleus developers are not too happy about this. This Morpheus client is being downloaded by thousands of frustrated Morpheus users who have been cutoff the FastTrack/Kazaa network and are now migrating to Gnutella. The violation of the GPL is blatant and will also be the first glimpse of the GPL for many of these new users. It seems like the executives at MusicCity have decided that they prefer free 'as in beer' not 'as in speech.'" Update: 03/03 05:10 GMT by T : It looks like the source is available now, gpl.txt and all.

7 of 435 comments (clear)

  1. i agree by schtum · · Score: 0, Redundant

    wholeheartedly

  2. Bullshit! by CrabCakeJimmy2k · · Score: 0, Redundant

    There is a file in the install directory that tells you where you can get the source! Check your facts Ed!

  3. From the who-jumped-the-gate-this-time department by danielrose · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Sounds like someone was a lil pre-emptive and forgot to check that you can download the source.

    --
    i hate pansy republicans
  4. Link to source by gregfortune · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Source is available directly off the musiccity homepage..

    MusicCity

    Yeah, yeah, I didn't post a directly link. Didn't seem like the right thing to do ;o)

    I'm looking at the source now

  5. to be even more technical by Trepidity · · Score: 2, Redundant

    The GPL actually obliges the distributor to either provide the source with the binary or accompany the binary with a written offer to provide source. So while it's true that he only has to actually provide source to those who ask, he's still required to make a written offer to do so; just providing the source to people who ask isn't itself enough.

    --
    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
  6. Re:Has anyone *asked* for the source? by ianezz · · Score: 1, Redundant
    Technically, the GPL only obliges a distributor to provide source if asked by someone who has received binaries from him.

    Technically, if you don't provide access to the sources along with the binaries, you have to provide a written offer (paper) to everyone that received binaries from you. Since this is higly inconvenient for net downloads (tracking everyone), putting up a tarball with the sources is generally simplier.

  7. LOL!! by Platypii · · Score: 0, Redundant

    LOL!