Epson Pulls Linux Software Following GPL Violations

ChrisWong writes "GPL violations has caused Epson to yank their free downloads of their ImageScan! and Photo Image Print System software for Linux. While one can use xsane instead of their ImageScan! software, the latter is easier to use and produces subjectively more attractive output."

Comments

More like a black eye for people who don't read.

[gblues]

The page actually states that the closure is temporary, while the GPL violations are remedied. There is absolutely nothing on that page to indicate that the software is being permanently discontinued.

Nathan

Re:I'm confused...

[zero2k]

it should be written in the troubleshooting manuals and text from Epson, but you won't find them there. It's not even in Epson's "maintenance" procedures log. Additionally, Epson claims that it happens to only a small number that they don't even bother about it. A lot of people have been scratching their heads of why it was happening, and it took a while before someone came up with this procedure.

Also, Epson uses a white grease. People who actually remove all the grease and simply use Windex to clean the chrome have found that to run better...

Epson is negotiating in good faith with FSF

[bkuhn]

Epson has been negotiating in good faith with us to bring their product into compliance with the terms of the GNU GPL and LPGL. We are moving as fast as we can to assist them in their efforts to comply, but with our limited resources we can only move so fast. We hope that the matter will be resolved soon.

Epson has been much more friendly than most violators. Epson on their own chose to put up that web page and admit their violation publicly. We did not require them to do so. Almost always, compliance is reached through private discussions between the Free Software Foundation and the violating party. Only rarely (usually because a third party posts on slashdot ;) does the public even become aware of the compliance efforts underway.

You can read FSF's General Counsel's essay for more details on FSF's GNU GPL enforcement efforts.

Sincerely,
Bradley M. Kuhn, Executive Director, Free Software Foundation

Re:Epson is negotiating in good faith with FSF

[rlk]

I'm not at all surprised to hear that Epson is negotiating in good faith with the FSF, and has chosen to go above and beyond what the FSF asked for (publicly admitting their violation and working to resolve it). In my own experience (as project lead of Gimp-Print, I have found Epson to be far more clued-in about working with the free software community than other printer vendors that I have come across.

In our case, it's evident that they understand that what we want is access to information about how their printers work, rather than information (such as details of their color management) that they quite legitimately consider proprietary. Because of that, it has been much easier for us to track their printers, and as a result their printers enjoy top notch support within our project. Perhaps more directly relevant to this, they have not used their project (PIPS) as an excuse to starve ours of data.
So I'm certainly pleased (but not at all surprised) to see Epson acting with such high ethical standards under these circumstances, too.

Unfortunate, but of zero consequence

[marm]

It's certainly unfortunate that this GPL violation occurred and that Epson have had to pull this software, which I'm sure is useful to some people.

However, in terms of inconvenience to users, it means very little indeed. The combination of GIMP-Print drivers for Epson inkjets with CUPS doing the spooling already produces output that is arguably better quality than any driver Epson has produced for either Windows or Mac. With the KDEPrint subsystem providing the user interface, you get a system that is powerful, flexible, easy to use and can do everything that Epson's own drivers do, and then some, whilst looking and working as an integral part of KDE applications.

Similarly, the KDE scanner program, Kooka, is a nice, powerful KDE-style alternative to xsane, supporting all the scanner hardware that SANE does and better, can scan straight into all sorts of KDE software, including KOffice, similar to the TWAIN system on Windows and Mac.

There are, of course, plugins for the GIMP also - GIMP-Print and xsane's GIMP plugin which provide similar features, at least to the GIMP, although not GTK or GNOME applications as a whole (hey guys, is this going to be fixed anytime soon? printing from GNOME apps is still in the dark ages, and there's nothing like Kooka's scan-service mode at all :(

Personally, I don't see why Epson bothers - the Free Software community has outdone them. It would be far better if they just helped projects like GIMP-Print and SANE out more, although I guess that means they can't stick Epson logos all over the software... ahh, the joys of corporate ego gratification.

Re:Anyone got the software before it was pulled?

[Spazmania]

You can insist to have the source code of the software if you got it

Not necessarily. Read the GPL: the penalty for breach is that your rights under the license are terminated. No more, no less.

And that's if anyone can make the GPL stick; the company could easily claim that they errantly failed to license the software but certainly never agreed to the GPL. The GPL is, after all, a shrink-wrap license. Last I checked those are valid only in Virginia and Maryland.

No license = no rights for anyone but the copyright holders. And for them, reparations = cash only unless the company offers and they accept something else.

Re:Time to reward Epson

[geoswan]

I chose Epson because linuxprinting.org praised Epson's linux support:

There are two brands worth considering for use with free software ... Epson [and] Hewlett-Packard...

Re:Kudos for Epson

[bigfatlamer]

Leave it to a /.er to completely ignore reality. You don't own an Epson scanner do you? Sure you can live with it. For anyone else that wanted to use an epson scanner on Linus and use the proper quality drivers for it are all now shit out of luck! That's really the only way to look at it. GPL natzis kill useful product and cause more fear in the industry about going near GPL anything.

And you of course miss the point as well. Yes...it's a bummer that you can not currently dl the Epson Linux scanner drivers (I assume that you've already got them). But the point is that they realized that they violated a copyright/trademark style license (one that has almost no legal muscle behind it) and decided to make themselves compliant. So, for a few days/weeks, there won't be an Epson driver for the scanner but, assuming they're not full of shit, we will all soon be able to dl a driver that will be full function and comply with the license.

Nobody's going to get sued, credit will be given where it's due and (again, assuming they're not blowing smoke up our asses), Linux folk wishing to use Epson scanners (there are probably like 12 of you out there) will be able to use an officially sanctioned driver. Looks like the license works pretty decently to me.

E

Good Job, Epson!

[Dunkalis]

I bought my Canon S520 before I had converted to Linux, and it worked great, but when I installed Linux, it was a NIGHTMARE to make it work. It took hours in SuSE, Lycoris, and Debian.

Next printer I get will be an Epson. I was considering an HP, but after canning Bruce Perens and Epson being nice to the Linux community, I'll make sure I get an Epson next time around.

Now, if other companies saw that playing nice got you more customers, they'd do it!

Re:Kudos for Epson

[fain]

Not that it's among the most commonly used words, nor very old, but.. according to Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: incentivize
Pronunciation: in-'sen-t&-"vIz
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -ized; -izing
Date: 1970
: to provide with an incentive

Of course, being a non-native speaker of English, I would probably just use that in my sentence - "provide with an incentive" - rather than the actual verb above :P