Plugin foo_dsp_src violates copyright Options

[m3ga]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am the author and copyright owner of software known as "Secret Rabbit Code" which is released
under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

On Monday August 8th 2005, I was made aware of a web site:

http://pelit.koillismaa.fi/plugins/dsp.php

which contains a php redirect link

http://pelit.koillismaa.fi/plugins/redir.php?id=494

which redirects to :

http://sbougribate.free.fr/Files/Foobar2000/foo_dsp_src.zip

which offers a binary derived from Secret Rabbit Code in direct violation of the GNU GPL [0].

I would like the people responsible for the above websites to do the following:

Free.fr (sbougribate.free.fr / Proxad.net):
Please remove the offending binary immediately. If the person who posted the binary
wishes to comply with the GNU GPL they can contact me at the email address listed
on the Secret Rabbit Code web page.

koillismaa.fi:
Please get the owner of the page:
http://pelit.koillismaa.fi/plugins/dsp.php
to remove the link to the binary as soons as possible and replace it with a statement that
the link was removed because of copyright violation.

I look forward to your swift reponse to this copyright violation.

Regards,
Erik

[kjoonlee]

Um, you're taking this too far. the GPL specifically allows linking with core operating system interfaces, AFAIK.

[rjamorim]

Um, you're taking this too far. the GPL specifically allows linking with core operating system interfaces, AFAIK.

I'll give you a cookie if you give me a good (legal-worthy) definition of "core operating system interfaces". Where do you draw the line?

BTW, the precise wording is:

"However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies the executable."

Notice they are talking about "major components of the operating system", and then they throw around some examples. Are these examples exhaustive? What does "and so on" precisely mean? Hell if I know!

Now, let me emphasize a particular sentence:

"unless that component itself accompanies the executable"

Well, well, the MSVC/ICL/BCC runtimes accompany the executable when you create a static binary. Solve that for me, Dr Watson!

This post has been edited by rjamorim: Oct 24 2005, 20:34