I examined the most recent source code package released by WD (Western Digital) for their WDTV product, and unfortunately WDTV is still a GPL violation.
February 9, 2009
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I examined the most recent source code package released by WD (Western Digital) for their WDTV product, and unfortunately WDTV is still a GPL violation.
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Are you a WDTV owner? If so, then you should send them a letter asking for the source code, just as the GPL specifies.
If WD still does not comply, only then do you have a cause to complain. If you want WD to stick to the letter of the GPL, then you should too.
(Wow, three if-then statements.)
Comment by Rex — February 20, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
Rex,
My understanding of section 6 of the GPL is that I merely need to be in possession of the “object code” in order to be fully within my rights to request a copy of the source code. As I can downloaded the “object code” [the firmware] without agreeing to any kind of license agreement or EULA stating that I need to own the device in order to download it (which may be legally dubious in itself, if it existed, which thankfully it doesn’t), I believe that I already am sticking to the letter of the GPL.
I have already contacted WD directly and requested a copy of the source code; I received no reply.
Comment by admin — February 23, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
> which may be legally dubious in itself, if it existed
As i read the GPL, it is not. They may base their decision to give you software or to deny on any reason they want. Including demand to be an owner of a device.
What they realy must not do, is to put any restriction of what you can do with the software *after* you received it. However, demand to have a evice only restricts your ability to get the software, beforehand, not your protected ability to do somethign with the software after you got it.
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I just got the device to make a present, so i’d not be an owner.
Yet it aready have a number of misfeatures to me. Lack of Russian language fir exampel, and unability to use external HDD, if that is a box for 2 or 4 HDDs. However, it is not my box, so i’d hardly would spend time on it. Even will i get some answer, i would have no way to check them w/o device nor may i make someone else’s device a toy to brick it in experiments.
And i don’t know your laws, yet however in Russia, if you make a specific official registered in post-office snail-mail letter to a company, they are obliged to send you snail-mail reply within some fixed timeframe, somehthing like 30 or 60 days AFAIR. Maybe on some lawyer forums you’d be able to get sme advice, how just an average Joe might craft a letter, that would make WDC be obliged to make a reply.
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Package… As far as i know, even will they upload all of the sources, they still break the license. They must either give the sources already with the device, or give with device the paper note, that customer has his right to get the sources on demand within 3 years. I cannot find neither. Nor in the box, nor in the device menu, nor in the maual PDF’s on the CD-ROM.
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funny thing, they were in so rush to start selling ,that made stupid mistakes in the manual.
There is a great soft – http://MediaInfo.sf.net – and their manual suggests to use it for information. Yet all the translations refer to the internal english page of MediaInfo, instead of entry with language auto-detection :-)
Comment by Arioch — May 23, 2009 @ 7:32 pm
Also, you may try to get in touch with the peple, owning the device and interested in its enhancements. Look at thosel links:
http://b-rad.cc/wdlxtv
http://wdtvforum.com/main/index.php?topic=138.0
HTH
Comment by Arioch — May 23, 2009 @ 7:52 pm