GPL Scores Another Win
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ge...@w3websites.com
Mar 11, 2008, 12:32:00 PM3/11/08
to OpenSourceMesh
GPL Scores Another Win
It doesn't pay to mess around with the GPL's requirements as another
company just found out.
READ MORE: http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-9237-8-85-84555-887835-0-0-0-1
It looks like Meraki might be called to account for its behavior
sooner than it thinks. Now someone who has contributed GPL code to
what Meraki is using needs to press Meraki to play fair like the
example shown in this news article.
It doesn't pay to mess around with the GPL's requirements as another
company just found out.
READ MORE: http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-9237-8-85-84555-887835-0-0-0-1
It looks like Meraki might be called to account for its behavior
sooner than it thinks. Now someone who has contributed GPL code to
what Meraki is using needs to press Meraki to play fair like the
example shown in this news article.
Andrew Gearhart
Mar 11, 2008, 8:37:37 PM3/11/08
to opensou...@googlegroups.com
Definitely, another big win for the GPL. Regarding Meraki... the big question would be whether there is any code that they are distributing that was licensed to them under the GPL. A /good portion/ of the code that they've kept "secret" and not redistributed (that I'm aware of) was released under a "GPL-like" license... in other words... the MIT license... which does /not/ have the same requirements as the GPL (see the click router as an example here: http://cvs.pdos.csail.mit.edu/cvs/click/release/one/README?rev=HEAD which is the core of their packet rewriting functionality that they use to inject the advertising javascript at the top of all the pages that the "standard" units serve to the node clients).
HOWEVER... this is of little consequence. The developers of the code that is GPL'd are the ones that need to seek damages for breach of contract/copyright infringement (if such code is out there... I hope they seek damages before Meraki sinks into oblivion). I don't think that's any of us here... and since Meraki has slammed the door on their users by preventing modifications to their units... their units are now of little consequence to us (except to look for backwards compatibility of the older units with the new firmware packages that are likely to surface in the coming weeks (with tie-ins to dashboards/AAA servers, billing... etc).
The future is looking very bright here at OpenSourceMesh because of the very hard work of many companys, project teams and individuals around the world working to solve the problem of an affordable "last mile" with wireless mesh technology. Let's push hard to work with the companies who are willing to work with us to make this dream a reality!
Fire up folks and lets dig in!
Andrew Gearhart
Co-founder, OpenSourceMesh
Entrepreneur, EtherFly
HOWEVER... this is of little consequence. The developers of the code that is GPL'd are the ones that need to seek damages for breach of contract/copyright infringement (if such code is out there... I hope they seek damages before Meraki sinks into oblivion). I don't think that's any of us here... and since Meraki has slammed the door on their users by preventing modifications to their units... their units are now of little consequence to us (except to look for backwards compatibility of the older units with the new firmware packages that are likely to surface in the coming weeks (with tie-ins to dashboards/AAA servers, billing... etc).
The future is looking very bright here at OpenSourceMesh because of the very hard work of many companys, project teams and individuals around the world working to solve the problem of an affordable "last mile" with wireless mesh technology. Let's push hard to work with the companies who are willing to work with us to make this dream a reality!
Fire up folks and lets dig in!
Andrew Gearhart
Co-founder, OpenSourceMesh
Entrepreneur, EtherFly
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