04-21-2008, 11:24 AM | #121 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,999
Karma: 300001
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V
|
Quote:
If it is Netronix which is supplying the hardware and OS, then there's a good chance that Bookeen had to buy a "developer's package" in order to get access to the SDK software. These "developer's packages" tend to run to several thousand dollars and may well include proprietary software covered by NDAs. However, once a person/company buys the package, one gets all the detailed information on what GPL'd software has been used as well. As I don't have that kind of money, I've not bought a "developer's package". Anyone want to set up a collection so I can buy one? Hint. Hint. I can get the exact price required. Derek |
|
04-21-2008, 11:47 AM | #122 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
What should a pirate do? Should he really stop distributing copyrighted material? |
|
Advert | |
|
04-21-2008, 11:59 AM | #123 | |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
Bookeen wanted to produce an eInk reader. Netronix are the source for the "reference" eInk hardware platform and its SDK. If you're a small company who wants to produce an eInk reader you pretty much have to go through Netronix. What do you suggest that Bookeen should have done? May I ask how you know that the NDA covers the Linux software, by the way? |
|
04-21-2008, 01:14 PM | #124 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,999
Karma: 300001
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V
|
Quote:
Second, I'm of the opinion that if it is Netronix, the NDA probably covered just the proprietary stuff as Netronix has made it clear that the Linux OS source is freely available code. I'm thinking, although I have no proof as I can't afford one of the "developer's packages", that except for possibly the low-level drivers they developed for their EB-100 hardware, the version of Linux is whichever actual embedded version that is currently available for the processor used inside. It's a Samsung, I believe. Shouldn't be too hard to track down which version of Linux has been ported over to that processor. Derek |
|
04-21-2008, 04:11 PM | #125 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 27
Karma: 10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Device: none
|
An analogy could be helpful here.
Suppose you wanted to startup a video store. You got some funding, opened a store and bought 10,000 DVDs from a small distributor. The videos arrived, you ran your business and all was well. Then, at some point it came to your attention that the DVDs were actually pirate copies. They are _quality_ counterfeits, the factory that made them made professional looking DVDs and boxes to put them in, and you had no reason when you bought them to believe they were illegal, yet there it is. The law doesn't make any distinction between "good faith" or the fact that you are $100,000 in debt because you bought these DVDs. It is illegal for you to sell them, period, because you have no license from the copyright owners. The law is quite clear. The only legal recourse you have is to stop selling them immediately, and file a lawsuit against your distributor for damages caused by their illegal actions. Actually you're quite screwed. I of course can understand that the average business in this position might rather try to stay in business and justify their illegal actions as business necessities. But I repeat, the law is quite clear. Selling someone's intellectual property which you don't have a license to is illegal, full stop, regardless of the circumstances, period. Can I be any more clear? And by the way, companies are supposed to have lawyers on staff who vet agreements to avoid problems like this. Bookeen should fire their legal staff for incompetence if they failed to notice this. Last edited by drwowe; 04-21-2008 at 04:14 PM. |
Advert | |
|
04-21-2008, 04:17 PM | #126 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
04-21-2008, 04:23 PM | #127 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
If you legally cannot sell a product you cannot sell it. It is simple. Last edited by tompe; 04-22-2008 at 09:00 AM. |
|
04-22-2008, 02:26 AM | #128 | |
Fanatic
Posts: 527
Karma: 470
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Quote:
In my country the law is that when I buy a bike that normaly costs around 300 Euro for 25 Euro from a guy on the street I could have known it was stolen. I'll be punishable by law and I have to return the bike to the owner. But if I buy the same stolen bike from a guy in a shop for 'the very very special discounted price' of 200 Euro I acted in good faith and I can keep the bike. It does not matter if the shop owner is the thief or tha he bought the bike from the original thief. The owner may buy the bike from me for 200 Euro and he can sue the thief. Our law is also quite clear, there is a distinction between knowing you are wrong and acting in good faith Last edited by Ortep; 04-22-2008 at 02:31 AM. |
|
04-22-2008, 09:03 AM | #129 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
|
|
04-22-2008, 11:20 AM | #130 | |
Fanatic
Posts: 527
Karma: 470
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Quote:
For example: In The Netherlands it is perfectly legal to download music put it on my MP3 player and listen to it. In some countries it is not. The fun part is that I am legally downloading when I get it from a newsgroup, but not when I'm downloading the same music with utorrent. Because in that case I'm also uploading parts of the song, and that is illegal. But my original remark was only to make people aware that there is no such thing as "The Law" Last edited by Ortep; 04-22-2008 at 11:26 AM. |
|
04-22-2008, 11:28 AM | #131 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
The laws in Sweden was as yours regarding the difference between newsgroup and torrent but they changed it a couple of years ago so downloading only also is illegal. In this case I assume it is the laws in France that are the relevant ones. |
|
04-22-2008, 11:33 AM | #132 | |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
It would be interesting to speculate what, if any, "punishment" a court would impose for this transgression, given that it's a civil (not a criminal) offence, and fines in civil cases generally reflect actual financial loss suffered by the copyright holder. In this case, of course, the copyright holder hasn't suffered any financial loss at all (because it's "free" software) and nor has anyone suffered any material loss through not being able to get hold of the source code. One might ask "does it really matter"? |
|
04-22-2008, 12:48 PM | #133 | ||
Fanatic
Posts: 527
Karma: 470
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Quote:
Anybody need some marijuana? I can buy it within 10 minutes drive from my home. And because I want to be able to travel abroad without getting arrested: Quote:
|
||
04-22-2008, 08:12 PM | #134 | |
Wizard
Posts: 3,442
Karma: 300001
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Belgium
Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear
|
Quote:
And I'm pretty sure Bookeen have the sources - developing and debugging firmware otherwise would be a royal pain. |
|
04-22-2008, 09:34 PM | #135 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 19,832
Karma: 11844413
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Tampa, FL USA
Device: Kindle Touch
|
How do you folks know that the Linux was modified? Linux embedded may be being used as it was distributed. The propritary software may be the reader they wrote. I see alot of assumtions being made in this thread, and not alot of facts. You are perfectly welcome to run software on Linux and not release the code to that software. It is not a component or modification of the Linux OS.
BOb |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
iRex in violation of Credit Card agreements? | Kakyou | iRex | 24 | 07-21-2006 11:17 AM |