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FSF Asks Apple To Comply With the GPL For Clone of GNU Go

Posted by timothy on from the y'know-fellas-the-license dept.

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The Free Software Foundation has discovered that an application currently distributed in Apple's App Store is a port of GNU Go. This makes it a GPL violation, because Apple controls distribution of all such programs through the iTunes Store Terms of Service, which is incompatible with section 6 of the GPLv2. It's an unusual enforcement action, though, because they don't want Apple to just make the app disappear, they want Apple to grant its users the full freedoms offered by the GPL. Accordingly, they haven't sued or sent any legal threats and are instead in talks with Apple about how they can offer their users the GPLed software legally, which is difficult because it's not possible to grant users all the freedoms they're entitled to and still comply with Apple's restrictive licensing terms."

5 of 482 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Fat Chance by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    haha, joke's on them. They've already sold the app and are now bound by the terms of the GPL. They're kind of screwed; their only option now is to buy an exemption to the GPL or follow the GPL.

    They were the "store" but not the "developer". I imagine the developer will need to provide the GPL compliance as Apple is just the reseller.

  2. Re:Wrong People by Bill_the_Engineer · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Wow. Your logic and reasoning is impressive. You must be new here.

    --
    These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
  3. Re:Fat Chance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This sort of “gotcha” crap is the reason I vastly prefer using BSD licensed software.

  4. I hope the GPL is challenged in court. by aristotle-dude · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    I hope that the viral and binary linking/packaging terms of the GPL are not only challenged but struck down as unenforceable because they attempt to bind third parties to a license which they did not agree to and attempt to usurp the copyrights of other parties.

    I have no problem with the FSF having a goal of keeping source code "free" but I do have a problem with license which attempt to "steal" or encumber the rights of other people.

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    1. Re:I hope the GPL is challenged in court. by Ironchew · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      If the distributors don't agree with the GPL, they don't distribute the program. Simple as that. The distributors are well aware of the license terms.

      I hope that the viral and binary linking/packaging terms of the GPL are not only challenged but struck down as unenforceable...I do have a problem with license which attempt to "steal" or encumber the rights of other people.

      I'm against the proprietary licenses that encumber the rights of the end-users. I hope that those are deemed unenforceable in the future.