You would think that if Vizio was hijacking code from GPL'd sources, their firmware on TVs would be better.
As the old saying goes, you can write bad code in any language or on top of any libraries. SmartCast is sooooo slow.
Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
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Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#12An especially novel aspect of this lawsuit, quoting the press release: > This approach makes it the first legal case that focuses on the rights of individual consumers as third-party beneficiaries of the GPL. > “That’s what makes this litigation unique and historic in terms of defending consumer rights,” says Karen M. Sandler, the organization’s executive director. In the past, GPL enforcement has been a cause of act…
Gplv2 violations are widespread, we need much much more enforcement and more copyleft software, and this could be a huge win. Free software's main purpose should not be to be proprietarized, too much of it now is a group effort among companies to more efficiently lure users to trade their freedom for functionality.
It would be nice if perma-locked bootloaders were illegal.
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Gplv2 violations are widespread, we need much much more enforcement and more copyleft software, and this could be a huge win. Free software's main purpose should not be to be proprietarized, too much of it now is a group effort among companies to more efficiently lure users to trade their freedom for functionality.
It would be nice if perma-locked bootloaders were illegal.
That imho should be an extension of right-to-repair (and own/modify)
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#14You would think that if Vizio was hijacking code from GPL'd sources, their firmware on TVs would be better.
They're still using pulseaudio and not pipewire?
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#15This looks to be a major change in the legal strategy behind GPL. In the past the focus has been on copyright claims by copyright holders, but as recent cases has shown in Germany and France, those has faced some rather strange setbacks. Germany don't seem to want to recognize copyright holders that only contributed a part of a larger work, which is basically all copyright holders for larger FOSS projects. In France they seems to define GPL as being under contract law and not under copyright law.
In this new case, the SFC is arguing a case in the context of third-party beneficiary which is under contract law and not copyright law. It seems like a bit of an long-shot, but if won it could mean a major change in interpreting GPL as a contract rather than a copyright license. I would guess that it also would change their strategy in other countries if won.
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#16You would think that if Vizio was hijacking code from GPL'd sources, their firmware on TVs would be better.
As the old saying goes, you can write bad code in any language or on top of any libraries. SmartCast is sooooo slow.
I need to reboot my Vizio TV weekly through a hidden system menu to fix audio desync issues. Simply power cycling from the remote does not work, as far as I can tell that's a sleep mode. Absolutely terrible device and I will not be going back to Vizio in the future.
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#17An especially novel aspect of this lawsuit, quoting the press release: > This approach makes it the first legal case that focuses on the rights of individual consumers as third-party beneficiaries of the GPL. > “That’s what makes this litigation unique and historic in terms of defending consumer rights,” says Karen M. Sandler, the organization’s executive director. In the past, GPL enforcement has been a cause of act…
>"If this suit is successful, it'll no longer be necessary to prove sufficient standing as a copyright holder of GPLed code in order to enforce the license;"
Would such a decision have any usefulness outside of California? This specific lawsuit is filed in a California state court, against a California defendant.
/not a lawyer
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#18You would think that if Vizio was hijacking code from GPL'd sources, their firmware on TVs would be better.
They're still using pulseaudio and not pipewire?
Why would a TV be shipping beta software?
I shouldn't be surprised if it was alsa alone. Shall we instead ssh into our tv to kill and restart pulse?
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#19I thought copyright in GPLv2 kicks in once someone is linking? I saw Linux Kernel, bash, awk mentioned; but if these were compiled into binary assets without any code from the TV, then isn't Vizio entitled to sell these TVs without disclosing their own source code?
Re: Software Freedom Conservancy files GPL lawsuit against Vizio
#20An especially novel aspect of this lawsuit, quoting the press release: > This approach makes it the first legal case that focuses on the rights of individual consumers as third-party beneficiaries of the GPL. > “That’s what makes this litigation unique and historic in terms of defending consumer rights,” says Karen M. Sandler, the organization’s executive director. In the past, GPL enforcement has been a cause of act…
> "If this suit is successful, it'll no longer be necessary to prove sufficient standing as a copyright holder of GPLed code in order to enforce the license;" Would such a decision have any usefulness outside of California? This specific lawsuit is filed in a California state court, against a California defendant. /not a lawyer
Also not a lawyer, but can't you sue in California over any product sold in California?