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GPL Violations On Windows Go Unnoticed?

Posted by kdawson on from the not-in-my-back-yard dept.

Scott_F writes "I recently reviewed several commercial, closed-source slideshow authoring packages for Windows and came across an alarming trend. Several of the packages I installed included GPL and LGPL software without any mention of the GPL, much less source code. For example, DVD Photo Slideshow (www.dvd-photo-slideshow.com) included mkisofs, cdrdao, dvdauthor, spumux, id3lib, lame, mpeg2enc, and mplex (all of which are GPL or LGPL). The company tried to hide this by wrapping them all in DLLs. There are other violations in other packages as well. Based on my testing of other software, it seems that use of GPL software in commercial Windows applications is on the rise. My question is how much are GPL violations in the Windows world being pursued? Does the FSF or EFF follow up on these if the platform is not GPL? How aware is the community of this trend?" This new method of detecting GPL violations could help here.

13 of 445 comments (clear)

  1. Richard Stallman... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    When asked for comment, Richard Stallman stroked his beard lovingly and said, "Soon, my friends. Soon the world shall be ours."

    1. Re:Richard Stallman... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      yes, if by "stroked his beard" you meant "nibbled his toenails"

    2. Re:Richard Stallman... by Soruk · · Score: 2, Funny

      Another unwanted mental picture: Richard Stallman wearing a kilt and wearing blue paint on his face.

      --
      -- Soruk
    3. Re:Richard Stallman... by gbobeck · · Score: 3, Funny

      Richard Stallman wearing a kilt and wearing blue paint on his face.

      I can just imagine him like that and saying "They may take our lives, but they can't take our free software!"

      --
      Navicula hydraulica plena anguilarum est. Omnes castelli tuus nostri sunt. Ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta.
  2. Bill's response by ZeroFactorial · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bill Gates issued a response, but it was already issued by SCO under the LGPL, so it's wrapped in a DLL. Good luck interpreting it.

    1. Re:Bill's response by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      It shouldn't need interpretation if it's in a DLL, that should've been compiled.

      Though... it would explain the speed of the average Windows executable...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:Bill's response by bsander · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, let's not be picky.

  3. Re:welcome! by McNihil · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah agree these posters seem to be like a beowulf cluster to me. Ow my karma... my karma is hurting... ow ow ow.

  4. Re:welcome! by hanshotfirst · · Score: 1, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our anonymous over-reacting cliche-enriching overlords!

    --
    Why, oh why, didn't I take the Blue Pill?
  5. Re:Well.. by TapeCutter · · Score: 2, Funny

    Speaking as someone who does this on a reasonably regular basis...

    1. Read "free" license.txt. (Some are surprising, eg: SQLite's original "prayer" or FractInt's "Got money - want admiration")

    2. Cut & paste the "free" license.txt into the appendix of your license.txt

    3. ???

    4. Profit!

    There are companies and individuals who are willfully ignorant of steps 1&2 particularly when talking about shrink-wrapped software but IMHO most corporate shops treat copyright issues with "due dilligence".

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  6. Re:Well.. by jessecurry · · Score: 3, Funny

    whaT gpl code is apple making deRivative wOrks of? i know that a Large chunk of os x came from bsd-Licensed work, but AFAIK they do not have anything that was derived from gpl.

    --
    Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know. ~Lao Tzu
  7. Re:welcome! by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it a new rule on /. that EVERY article has to include a comment featuring the tired, stale "overlords" joke?
    Yes. What slashdot should do is have a link to the auto-joke creation page, where it takes the subject and automatically creates the Overlord, Beowolf, and in Soviet Russia jokes. Once those are taken care of by an AI, people won't feel the need to repeat them.

    I for one welcome our Auto-Joke Creation Overlords, but imagine a Beowolf cluster of them. In Soviet Russia, the auto-joke creates you!!!
    --
    All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
  8. Re:welcome! by udippel · · Score: 2, Funny

    But, does it run on Linux ?