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TiVo Says It Could Suffer Under GPLv3

Posted by kdawson on from the no-prevention-of-hacking dept.

Preedit writes to tell us that those busy folks over at InformationWeek have been scrutinizing yet more SEC filings, and Novell and Microsoft aren't the only ones concerned about certain provisions in the final draft of GPLv3. TiVo worries too. The problem is that TiVo boxes are Linux-based. They're also designed to shut down if the software is hacked by users trying to circumvent DRM features. But GPLv3 would prohibit TiVo's no-tamper setup. "If the currently proposed version of GPLv3 is widely adopted, we may be unable to incorporate future enhancements to the GNU/Linux operating system into our software, which could adversely affect our business," TiVo warns in a regulatory filing cited by InformationWeek."

1 of 710 comments (clear)

  1. The Real World! by Goth+Biker+Babe · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I know that everything I say will be considered heresy by the linux faithful so I expect to be modded down but I don't care.

    The problem is that RMS is a spaced out hippy with not concept of the real world and there are an awful lot of people who think the same way. The GPL is a virus that infects any software it touches. GPLv3 is worse than GPLv2.

    In my day to day work I avoid using any software that is GPLed because of commercial concerns (out side of my control) I cannot release details of software. So I have to reinvent everything and the open source community loses out on anything beneficial I may have done. A lose lose situation.

    And why cannot release details of the software? Because its encryption libraries and DRM. Well don't DRM I hear you say. The real world situation is this. Media companies want DRM. I agree that its not useful and doesn't actually benefit the media companies but until their minds are changes its here to stay. Whether that's right or wrong its a fact. There's nothing we can do about that.

    So using logic. The media companies want DRM. So any companies wanting to show their content have to comply with their requirements and use DRM. So don't show their content some may argue. But the providers are commercial companies. If Dish network didn't show Sci-Fi channel for example viewers may switch to DirecTV. So if providers are using DRM their software has to be proprietary which precludes GPLed code.

    But what do I care. I get paid to be a consultant who works out how to get around such problems such as using publishable modifications within the GPL code which IPC to proprietary code. Or, more often, looking for the BSD equivalent which allows me to publish those bits I want to publish.

    So yes, I can understand TiVo's concerns. And all that GPLv3 will achieve is forks in code (GPv3 vs GPv2 versions) or re-implementations dividing the effort and spreading the open source community thinner.