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dumb question: Is Google violating the GPL by not releasing code that is shipping on devices (eg. Xoom). Didn't Tivo end up having to give up some of there cod
by timtadh 16y ago
dumb question:
Is Google violating the GPL by not releasing code that is shipping on devices (eg. Xoom). Didn't Tivo end up having to give up some of there code because it was based on linux? Is this a similar situation?
- SwellJoe 16y agoNo. The code in question is not under the GPL, it is under the Apache license, which is a very liberal license that does not require distribution of source.
- natesm 16y agoGoogle releases the code that they have to (the kernel, anything else GPLed). Most of Android is not under the GPL (and it was written by Google anyways, so they can do whatever they want). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Licensing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Lice...
- cube13 16y agoAsus has also released the Honeycomb code that is covered by the GPL for their tablet: http://www.androidtabletworld.com/android-news/asus-eee-pad-transformer-source-code-now-available http://www.androidtabletworld.com/android-news/asus-eee-pad-...
- Peaker 16y agoThis is a strong case for the GPL in the GPL-vs-BSD debate. Lots of the BSD-license proponents are claiming that the GPL would turn commercial companies away, and that if they give back due to the GPL, they'd do so for the BSD projects too.
- olalonde 16y agoNo, for a very simple reason: only the copyright holder(s) of a product can enforce its license. They won't sue themselves for not following their own license ;) Of course, Google doesn't own all parts of Android and for instance, has to distribute the Linux Kernel's source code with every binary release of Android.