GPL Violation: star-register.com
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Daming Yang
Mar 15, 2018, 8:22:47 AM3/15/18
to Stellarium
I am a user of Stellarium. I found a site 'star-register.com' providing (only) Windows and macOS binaries of modified Stellarium to their users to search stars with their star naming service.
What is modified
===============
In 'Search' window - 'Object', enter the 'register number' provided by the 'register agent', for example 13375-8293-1154068, modified Stellarium will jump to the location and show the 'name'.
Due to the lack of source code, by capturing network activities, we can find it requested this Ajax URL:
Only one match, from hexadecimal search for 'star-reg', was found in the install target directory: stellarium.exe (Windows version)
Details of Violation
===============With respect to GNU General Public License Version 2 which Stellarium uses, I believe such releases are violations of the license.
(A list from https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html, CC BY-ND 4.0)
- the precise name of the product
star-register.com
- the name of the person or organization distributing it
Celestial Register OUE (from LEGAL NOTICE on website)
- email addresses, postal addresses and phone numbers for how to contact the distributor(s)
Sepapaja 615551 TallinnEstonia
- the exact name of the package whose license is violated
Stellarium
- how the license was violated:
* Is the copyright notice of the copyright holder included?
Yes, it is. But interesting, star-register.com only includes it in software as the official building scripts do and claims 'Our Software', 'We built an unique Software so you always know where your star is at any given time and location. ', and 'Please note that only customers from registered partners are able to use this Software'.
* Is the source code completely missing?
Yes.
* Is there a written offer for source that's incomplete in some way? This could happen if it provides a contact address or network URL that's somehow incorrect.
No, no source code offered.
* Is there a copy of the license included in the distribution?
Yes, there is.
* Is some of the source available, but not all? If so, what parts are missing?
No, none of it is available.
Note: The copyright holder is the one who is legally authorized to take action to enforce the license.
Best regards,
Yang
Fabien Chéreau
Apr 6, 2018, 8:27:08 AM4/6/18
to stell...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Yang,
I already knew about that, I'll look at how to react, but in general, there is very little we can do against that without engaging in very long and costly procedures.
Fabien
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Georg Zotti
Apr 6, 2018, 9:04:43 AM4/6/18
to stell...@googlegroups.com
I have another fraud here.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260933122301?ul_noapp=true
Look at the item description to see text and images from stellarium.org,
watermarked with the name of this "seller". The item description has all
traces of the true product name "Stellarium" removed. I have asked
whether this is Stellarium or anything else in the package. It is indeed
just Stellarium, and apparently nothing else. The dealer states that it
is OK to sell open-source software, which may in fact be true. (What was
that about Qt non-commercial license? Is this covered?) But I have not
seen a passage in the GPL about selling a simply rebranded existing
product without modification. No sane person working on legalities
apparently came to this idea. I have not seen the CD contents (to
check whether it adheres to GPL), but I am rather sure that at least the
stealing of content from the stellarium.org website is illegal. The
dealer even states that his selling of open-source software helps in
their distribution and making them better known. What a arrant liar!
I have not checked whether the rest of his offers works in the same way.
For me this advertising under his own brand only (without naming his
products appropriately) is a case of treason against the OS community
and a case of deliberate deception against his customers. I hope there
is also a real legal hold against this.
Regards, Georg
Am 06.04.2018 14:26, schrieb Fabien Chéreau:
> Thanks Yang,
>
> I already knew about that, I'll look at how to react, but in general,
> there is very little we can do against that without engaging in very
> long and costly procedures.
>
> Fabien
>
> On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 1:22 PM, Daming Yang <li...@aosc.xyz> wrote:
>
>> I am a user of Stellarium. I found a site 'star-register.com [4]'
>> CC BY-ND 4.0)
>> - THE PRECISE NAME OF THE PRODUCT
>>
>>> star-register.com [2]
>>
>> - THE NAME OF THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTING IT
>> CONTACT THE DISTRIBUTOR(S)
>>
>>> Sepapaja 6 [3]
>>> 15551 Tallinn
>>> Estonia
>>> in...@star-register.com
>>
>> - THE EXACT NAME OF THE PACKAGE WHOSE LICENSE IS VIOLATED
>>
>>> Stellarium
>>
>> - HOW THE LICENSE WAS VIOLATED:
>>
>>> * IS THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER INCLUDED?
>>
>> Yes, it is. But interesting, star-register.com [2] only includes it
>
>>> Yes.
>
>> * IS THERE A WRITTEN OFFER FOR SOURCE THAT'S INCOMPLETE IN SOME
>> WAY? THIS COULD HAPPEN IF IT PROVIDES A CONTACT ADDRESS OR NETWORK
>> URL THAT'S SOMEHOW INCORRECT.
>
>>> Yes, there is.
>
>> * IS SOME OF THE SOURCE AVAILABLE, BUT NOT ALL? IF SO, WHAT PARTS
>> ARE MISSING?
> take action to enforce the license._
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout [8].
> [9].
> Links:
> ------
> [1]
> http://www.star-register.com/ajax_registred_call_soft.php?RN=13375-8293-1154068
> [2] http://star-register.com/
> [3] https://maps.google.com/?q=Sepapaja+6&entry=gmail&source=g
> [4] http://star-register.com
> [5] https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html
> [6] https://groups.google.com/group/stellarium
> [7]
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/1f3ee86d-0d19-4525-adeb-1cc5a9fed1bf%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
> [8] https://groups.google.com/d/optout
> [9]
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/CAFxD46EcWykUzSUZpUU36qB%3DcF5R7avnJgDwAyOBQ0boAob21A%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260933122301?ul_noapp=true
Look at the item description to see text and images from stellarium.org,
watermarked with the name of this "seller". The item description has all
traces of the true product name "Stellarium" removed. I have asked
whether this is Stellarium or anything else in the package. It is indeed
just Stellarium, and apparently nothing else. The dealer states that it
is OK to sell open-source software, which may in fact be true. (What was
that about Qt non-commercial license? Is this covered?) But I have not
seen a passage in the GPL about selling a simply rebranded existing
product without modification. No sane person working on legalities
apparently came to this idea. I have not seen the CD contents (to
check whether it adheres to GPL), but I am rather sure that at least the
stealing of content from the stellarium.org website is illegal. The
dealer even states that his selling of open-source software helps in
their distribution and making them better known. What a arrant liar!
I have not checked whether the rest of his offers works in the same way.
For me this advertising under his own brand only (without naming his
products appropriately) is a case of treason against the OS community
and a case of deliberate deception against his customers. I hope there
is also a real legal hold against this.
Regards, Georg
Am 06.04.2018 14:26, schrieb Fabien Chéreau:
> Thanks Yang,
>
> I already knew about that, I'll look at how to react, but in general,
> there is very little we can do against that without engaging in very
> long and costly procedures.
>
> Fabien
>
> On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 1:22 PM, Daming Yang <li...@aosc.xyz> wrote:
>
>> providing (only) Windows and macOS binaries of modified Stellarium
>> to their users to search stars with their _star naming service_.
>>
>> What is modified
>> ===============
>>
>> In 'Search' window - 'Object', enter the 'register number' provided
>> by the 'register agent', for example _13375-8293-1154068_, modified
>> What is modified
>> ===============
>>
>> In 'Search' window - 'Object', enter the 'register number' provided
>> Stellarium will jump to the location and show the 'name'.
>>
>> Due to the lack of source code, by capturing network activities, we
>> can find it requested this Ajax URL:
>>
>>>
>>
> http://www.star-register.com/ajax_registred_call_soft.php?RN=13375-8293-1154068
>>> [1]
>>
>> Due to the lack of source code, by capturing network activities, we
>> can find it requested this Ajax URL:
>>
>>>
>>
> http://www.star-register.com/ajax_registred_call_soft.php?RN=13375-8293-1154068
>>
>> Only one match, from hexadecimal search for 'star-reg', was found in
>> the install target directory: stellarium.exe (Windows version)
>>
>> Details of Violation===============
>>
>> With respect to GNU General Public License Version 2 which
>> Stellarium uses, I believe such releases are violations of the
>> license.
>>
>> (A list from https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html [5],
>> Only one match, from hexadecimal search for 'star-reg', was found in
>> the install target directory: stellarium.exe (Windows version)
>>
>> Details of Violation===============
>>
>> With respect to GNU General Public License Version 2 which
>> Stellarium uses, I believe such releases are violations of the
>> license.
>>
>> CC BY-ND 4.0)
>> - THE PRECISE NAME OF THE PRODUCT
>>
>>> star-register.com [2]
>>
>> - THE NAME OF THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTING IT
>>
>>> Celestial Register OUE (from LEGAL NOTICE on website)
>>
>> - EMAIL ADDRESSES, POSTAL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR HOW TO
>>> Celestial Register OUE (from LEGAL NOTICE on website)
>>
>> CONTACT THE DISTRIBUTOR(S)
>>
>>> Sepapaja 6 [3]
>>> 15551 Tallinn
>>> Estonia
>>> in...@star-register.com
>>
>> - THE EXACT NAME OF THE PACKAGE WHOSE LICENSE IS VIOLATED
>>
>>> Stellarium
>>
>> - HOW THE LICENSE WAS VIOLATED:
>>
>>> * IS THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER INCLUDED?
>>
>> Yes, it is. But interesting, star-register.com [2] only includes it
>> in software as the official building scripts do and claims 'Our
>> Software', 'We built an unique Software so you always know where
>> your star is at any given time and location. ', and 'Please note
>> that only customers from registered partners are able to use this
>> Software'.
>
>> * IS THE SOURCE CODE COMPLETELY MISSING?
>> Software', 'We built an unique Software so you always know where
>> your star is at any given time and location. ', and 'Please note
>> that only customers from registered partners are able to use this
>> Software'.
>
>
>>> Yes.
>
>> * IS THERE A WRITTEN OFFER FOR SOURCE THAT'S INCOMPLETE IN SOME
>> WAY? THIS COULD HAPPEN IF IT PROVIDES A CONTACT ADDRESS OR NETWORK
>> URL THAT'S SOMEHOW INCORRECT.
>
>>> No, no source code offered.
>
>> * IS THERE A COPY OF THE LICENSE INCLUDED IN THE DISTRIBUTION?
>>> No, no source code offered.
>
>
>>> Yes, there is.
>
>> * IS SOME OF THE SOURCE AVAILABLE, BUT NOT ALL? IF SO, WHAT PARTS
>> ARE MISSING?
>
>>> No, none of it is available.
>
> _Note: The copyright holder is the one who is legally authorized to
>>> No, none of it is available.
>
> take action to enforce the license._
>
> Best regards,
>
> Yang
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Stellarium" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to stellarium+...@googlegroups.com.
> Best regards,
>
> Yang
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Stellarium" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> To post to this group, send email to stell...@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/stellarium [6].
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/1f3ee86d-0d19-4525-adeb-1cc5a9fed1bf%40googlegroups.com
> [7].
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/1f3ee86d-0d19-4525-adeb-1cc5a9fed1bf%40googlegroups.com
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout [8].
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Stellarium" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to stellarium+...@googlegroups.com.
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Stellarium" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> To post to this group, send email to stell...@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/stellarium.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/CAFxD46EcWykUzSUZpUU36qB%3DcF5R7avnJgDwAyOBQ0boAob21A%40mail.gmail.com
> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/stellarium.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> [9].
> Links:
> ------
> [1]
> http://www.star-register.com/ajax_registred_call_soft.php?RN=13375-8293-1154068
> [2] http://star-register.com/
> [3] https://maps.google.com/?q=Sepapaja+6&entry=gmail&source=g
> [4] http://star-register.com
> [5] https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html
> [6] https://groups.google.com/group/stellarium
> [7]
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/1f3ee86d-0d19-4525-adeb-1cc5a9fed1bf%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
> [8] https://groups.google.com/d/optout
> [9]
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/stellarium/CAFxD46EcWykUzSUZpUU36qB%3DcF5R7avnJgDwAyOBQ0boAob21A%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
Timothy Reaves
Apr 24, 2018, 9:54:53 AM4/24/18
to Stellarium
The free version of Qt forbids any selling. So he can't sell it either. He's in violation of the Qt license.
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