GNU Keyring for PalmOS and Safekeys: gpl violation?

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Martin Pool and Reaper Technologies have not agreed whether or not Reaper Technologies have violated the licensing conditions of GNU Keyring for PalmOS.

The copyright to GNU Keyring for PalmOS is owned by Martin Pool. It is licensed to various people under the terms of the GNU General Public License Version 2, and this is clearly stated in the documentation, on the web site, and in every file of the source code. Like the GNU/Linux operating system, GNU Keyring is clearly not not public domain software, although it can be used without paying license fees.

If SafeKeys did incorporate code from GNU Keyring (which is not yet proven), then they would clearly have violated the license and breached the copyright of GNU Keyring.

For a formal definition of what a violation is, and what it implies you should read the contract. Particular apparent violations include:

The GNU GPL is very clear on the consequences of a violation:

4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
parties remain in full compliance.

  5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
signed it.  However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
distribute the Program or its derivative works.  These actions are
prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.  Therefore, by
modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
the Program or works based on it.


Copyright © 2000 by Martin Pool. All rights reserved.
$Id: violation.latte,v 1.1 2000/09/12 07:21:34 mbp Exp $