MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Cybook Gen3 firmware on Netronix EB-100

nikkos010 · 06-03-2008, 07:32 PM

I'm going to delurk here for a bit.

http://www.rosenlaw.com/lj19.htm

Calling on a pre-compiled program/library does not require the distribution of your proprietary code under the GPL. If that were the case there would be absolutely no private proprietary code developed to run on Linux

If Mobipocket is indeed using GPL code compiled into it's program, you'll need to find it, find the author who wrote it, and confirm that he didn't authorize it, prior to accusing Mobi. Saying anything without proof can get you into deep legal problems.

As for Bookeen supplying the code, the GPL says either the code, or an offer for the code, has to be distributed. Has anyone asked for the code? And since I don't have a cybook, is there an offer somewhere in the manual?

Firmware is a binary chunk that includes a filesystem, the OS, and the programs used. throwing a gpl program into firmware doesn't make everything in the firmware subject to GPL licensing provisions, nor does having a GPL program on my harddrive make Mircosoft obligated to provide Windows' sourcecode.

Also regarding the possible statically linked code in Mobipocket, is this just in Bookeen's firmware? Or in all Linux distributions of Mobipocket? If just in the firmware, it could be simply for speed reasons, but once it's found and documented, Mobi could have some legal issues with it.

IMHO, this type of stuff is why software shouldn't copyrighted in the first place, nothing but lawyers creating a market for themselves.

06-03-2008, 07:32 PM	#152
nikkos010 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: ASUS A626	I'm going to delurk here for a bit. http://www.rosenlaw.com/lj19.htm Calling on a pre-compiled program/library does not require the distribution of your proprietary code under the GPL. If that were the case there would be absolutely no private proprietary code developed to run on Linux If Mobipocket is indeed using GPL code compiled into it's program, you'll need to find it, find the author who wrote it, and confirm that he didn't authorize it, prior to accusing Mobi. Saying anything without proof can get you into deep legal problems. As for Bookeen supplying the code, the GPL says either the code, or an offer for the code, has to be distributed. Has anyone asked for the code? And since I don't have a cybook, is there an offer somewhere in the manual? Firmware is a binary chunk that includes a filesystem, the OS, and the programs used. throwing a gpl program into firmware doesn't make everything in the firmware subject to GPL licensing provisions, nor does having a GPL program on my harddrive make Mircosoft obligated to provide Windows' sourcecode. Also regarding the possible statically linked code in Mobipocket, is this just in Bookeen's firmware? Or in all Linux distributions of Mobipocket? If just in the firmware, it could be simply for speed reasons, but once it's found and documented, Mobi could have some legal issues with it. IMHO, this type of stuff is why software shouldn't copyrighted in the first place, nothing but lawyers creating a market for themselves. Last edited by nikkos010; 06-03-2008 at 07:36 PM.