German Court Convicts Skype For Breaching GPL

terber writes "A German court has once again upheld the GPLv2 and convicted Skype (based in Luxembourg) of violating the GPL by selling the Linux-based VoIP phone 'SMCWSKP 100' without proper source code access. (Original is in German, link is a Google translation.) Skype later added a flyer to the phones' packaging giving a URL where the sources could be obtained; but the court found this insufficient and in breach of GPL section 3. The plaintiff was once again Netfilter developer Harald Welte, who runs gpl-violations.org. The decision is available in German at www.ifross.de (Google translation here)."

Damn

[Anonymous Coward]

What a bunch of GPL Nazis.

Conflict and Chaos in the Hive Mind!

[goldspider]

Court upholding GPL - Good!
Conviction for copyright violation - Bad!

What's a loyal drone to believe anymore??

Re:Slashdot Hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not!

In any case you have completely misrepresented peoples positions and conflated different groups.

Don't look now but I think your strawman is on fire.

Re:Slashdot Hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes we can. And do. You see, RIAA/MPAA are evil. The OSS guys are good. Haven't you seen Star Wars?

Re:Correct terminology

[Mr. Underbridge]

Noone would be convicted of "breaching the GPL". The GPL is not an EULA. If you violate the terms of the GPL, you are (re)distributing without a license permitting you to do so (since the GPL, which you violated, is the only thing that gives you permission to do so), which is a copyright violation, not a GPL violation. I wish articles would get the specifics right.

You win today's "Pedant of the day award." Look for your certificate in the mail.

Re:Damn

[MontyApollo]

>>What a bunch of GPL Nazis.

Sorry, I laughed.

Re:Correct terminology

[blhack]

you get runner up for using the word "pedant".

but you don't get a certificate. We're kindof assholes like that.

Re:Conflict and Chaos in the Hive Mind!

[goldspider]

Are we talking beer, speech, or herpes?

Server Error?

[EmbeddedJanitor]

My German is a bit rusty, but I'm pretty sure that "Server Error" is not a very good translation.

Holy Larva Batman!

[fishthegeek]

the case that also the program at the same place is offered for the Download: "If distribution OF executable or object code is larva by off ring ACCESS ton of CoPy from A designated place, then off ring equivalent ACCESS ton of CoPy the SOURCE code from the same place COUNTs as distribution OF the SOURCE code, even though third parties of acres emergency compelled tons of CoPy the SOURCE along with the object code." In all other cases of the software selling it is not sufficient to make the SOURCE code available only on-line one.

It's a wonder why Microsoft hates the GPL, Balmer is afraid of GRUB(s)

Re:Stop this rubbish

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone ist sehr crankisch.