SFLC Says Microsoft Violated the GPL

After Microsoft donated driver code to the Linux kernel under the GPLv2, stories surfaced that they had done so under duress of already being in violation of the GPL. Microsoft quickly denied that any GPL violation was a driver for their decision to donate the code; the company's senior director of platform strategy, Sam Ramji, said at the time: "Microsoft's decision was not based on any perceived obligations tied to the GPLv2 license." Now the Software Freedom Law Center confirms that Microsoft was indeed in violation of the GPLv2 when it distributed its Hyper-V Linux Integration Components without providing source code. Community members led by Greg Kroah-Hartman contacted the company and coached them through the process of getting compliant. Microsoft now says that they had already been on the path for several months toward releasing the software under GPLv2 before Kroah-Hartman got in touch.

Comments

Re:Remember kids, if you're using Microsoft softwa

[dkleinsc]

Do not forget to pay your $699 GNU license fee you Windows using faggots!

You know, I hate to be a politically correct jerk, but why the heck are you calling gay people "Windows using"?

WTF

[DrugCheese]

What's with all the people who claim not to like MS yet stick up for them violating the GPL? Well at least they're in compliance now BS. They only complied because they were caught. Here's the obligatory car analogy: You're speeding and see a cop so you slow down. Does that mean you've done nothing wrong? The whole point of this followup article is to point out that they only complied BECAUSE they were confronted about it. And as far as I know they're still not in full compliance, they need to distribute the code and the license WITH the driver from what I know.

Sure my hand was in the cookie jar ... but uhhh ... I was just getting a cookie for you! Childish