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Doubt in GNU GPL

13 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/doubt-in-gnu-gpl.4623/

C
cnukutti Original post #1
Jan 12, 2005 at 10:21 PM
According to GNU GPL I can copy code from a software foo which is released under GNU GPL license, and create another software bar then I should release bar under GNU GPL license. But if I release a binary of the software without the source code, then how would the author of foo know whether I have used his source?? And how can he protect his Free Software?
I know it is illegal and unethical, but it is possible. How to prevent such things?
GNUrag
GNUrag #2
Jan 13, 2005 at 4:56 PM
cnukutti said:
According to GNU GPL I cannot copy code from a software foo which is released under GNU GPL license,
Click to expand...
did you mean to say, "I can copy"


cnukutti said:
But if I release a binary of the software without the source code, then how would the author of foo know whether I have used his source??
Click to expand...
reverse engineering...

cnukutti said:
And how can he protect his Free Software? I know it is illegal and unethical, but it is possible. How to prevent such things?
Click to expand...
or you can sue that person or company and see him in court. This is a common thing and has happened many times in the past. But the FSF is a very powerful lobby... in the past, FSF has won every such lawsuite and proprietary software vendours have had to roll back...
tuxfan
tuxfan #3
Jan 14, 2005 at 11:59 AM
GNUrag said:
in the past, FSF has won every such lawsuite and proprietary software vendours have had to roll back...
Click to expand...

GNUrag, can you please give some examples?
GNUrag
GNUrag #4
Jan 14, 2005 at 4:04 PM
Just the perfect link for you... this was posted by terence on ilugbom. This site maintains all the court cases that free software organizations including FSF has been invloved with.

*www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20041228040645419
B
Byte #5
Jan 14, 2005 at 4:54 PM
Yup, head to groklaw for all you GNU/GPL/FSF queries. That site rocks.
firewall
firewall #6
Jan 14, 2005 at 7:13 PM
Ya...

groklaw Rocks !! best site for such handy references.. :)

a.m
tuxfan
tuxfan #7
Jan 14, 2005 at 7:56 PM
Great link GNurag. Groklaw goes thru a great deal of effort to maintain such a list :shock:
GNUrag said:
cnukutti said:
But if I release a binary of the software without the source code, then how would the author of foo know whether I have used his source??
Click to expand...
reverse engineering...

cnukutti said:
And how can he protect his Free Software? I know it is illegal and unethical, but it is possible. How to prevent such things?
Click to expand...
or you can sue that person or company and see him in court. This is a common thing and has happened many times in the past. But the FSF is a very powerful lobby... in the past, FSF has won every such lawsuite and proprietary software vendours have had to roll back...
Click to expand...

But catching someone with reverse engineering is like taking a chance. How will I know who has used which part of my code in which part of his code :shock:

As regards suing, if some company of Australia uses my code, do you think I will ever be able to sue them there? :roll:

Alternatively, if an Indian entity uses code of some foreign entity, then... only God can save him if he tries to sue him in India :lol: It would take 20 years to get over with the first round, then another 5-7 years for first appeal and then another 2-4 for appeal to Supreme Court :roll: You know how Indian Judiciary works!! :shock:
C
cnukutti #8
Jan 16, 2005 at 5:51 PM
Say I copied source from a PHP software and compiled them using Turck - MMCache (ttp://sourceforge.net/projects/turck-mmcache/), then it is not possible to find out the code. Then how will I protect my source??
tuxfan
tuxfan #9
Feb 1, 2005 at 12:31 PM
*bump* activating this thread back because there are some unasnwered questions here. :)
T
tgpraveen #10
Nov 15, 2008 at 2:09 AM
bump
T
tgpraveen #12
Nov 15, 2008 at 11:47 PM
why not and this thread is still on 1st or 2nd pg of open source section and needs discussion
F
FilledVoid #13
Nov 16, 2008 at 12:11 AM
why not and this thread is still on 1st or 2nd pg of open source section and needs discussion
Click to expand...

Maybe if you said what you need clarifying might help. Also the date of the last post till you posted is 01-02-2005 12:31 PM by tuxfan topics with similar dates are like 75 pages behind . How on earth did you find this one :D .