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2009/7/29 tom <tompotts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: > http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1495466/free-software-lawyers-microsoft-violated-gpl > Their spinning is getting better tho... > ..and news reporting is getting worse.. Microsoft created some driver software based on some GPL code and then possibly sold that to customers who bought their Hyper-V product and wanted to run Linux on/in it. _If_ one of those specific customers requested the source for the GPL derived code that they had received, and they did not receive it in a timely manner (as per the provisions of the GPL) then they could of course complain that there was a _potential_ breach of the GPL. _If_ an author of GPL-licensed copyrighted code which was used in the Hyper-V driver complained and successfully proved that their code was in use and the source was not being distributed as per the license _they_ set out, then they too could have cause to complain. Cause for complaint does not directly equate to a GPL violation. The gpl-violations < http://gpl-violations.org/ > group has in the past complained to vendors of software and hardware products which ship with GPL code, and informed them of their obligations. They are usually given some level of grace before they are pilloried in the media and LUG mailing lists. Not in the case of Microsoft though, eh? They get charged with GPL Violation by every Tom, Dick and Harry, the vast majority of which have no legal right to the source for the code because they never purchased a license for the Hyper-V driver in the first place, and they have no code of their own in the driver. Seems to me like some people might want to read the GPL and recall how other companies (D-Link, Edimax, TomTom etc) have been treated in the past, and treat Microsoft in the same way, or be accused of mass hypocrisy. Cheers, Al. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html