Human rights organization Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) a new strategy for ensuring compliance with the GPL license in devices whose firmware is built on Linux. To implement the proposed initiative, the ARDC (Amateur Radio Digital Communications) Foundation has already allocated a $150 grant to the SFC.
The work is planned to be carried out in three directions:
- manufacturers to comply with the GPL and eliminate existing violations.
- Carrying out jointly with other organizations to promote the idea that product compliance with the GPL is an important detail for protecting privacy and consumer rights.
- Project development to create alternative firmware.
According to Bradley M. Kuhn, Executive Director of the SFC, earlier efforts to persuade the need for compliance with the GPL, through education and information, have not paid off, and today there is a general disregard for compliance with the requirements of the GPL in the IoT device industry. To get out of this situation, it is proposed to use more stringent legal measures to hold violators liable for failure to comply with the conditions of copyleft licenses.
When using code under copyleft licenses in its products, the manufacturer must provide the source code, including the code for derivative works and installation instructions, to preserve the freedom of the software. Without such actions, the user loses control over the software. In order to fix errors on their own, remove unnecessary functionality to protect their privacy, or replace the firmware, the user must be able to make changes and reinstall software on devices.
Over the past year, the SFC has exposed a series of violations of the GPL by embedded electronics companies that cannot be negotiated amicably and litigation is indispensable. It is planned to select one of these violators who do not provide code sufficient to rebuild and install Linux, and arrange a show trial in the United States. In the event that the defendant's violation is corrected, all requirements are met, and a commitment to comply with the GPL in the future is provided, the SFC is ready to immediately end the lawsuit.
In addition to working to enforce GPL compliance, the Firmware Liberation project plans to select a certain class of products from the category of Linux-based embedded solutions and create alternative free firmware for them based on code discovered by the manufacturer as a result of eliminating GPL violations, as the OpenWrt project was created on the basis of the firmware code for WRT54G. Ultimately, the experience of creating such successful projects as ΠΈ , it is planned to be transferred to other categories of devices.
It is noted that the SFC organization has identified violations of the GPL in Linux firmware for devices such as refrigerators, electronic nannies, virtual assistants, sound bars, doorbells, security cameras, car systems, AV receivers and TVs. Creating alternative firmware for such devices, or joining forces with existing alternative firmware projects that are hampered by the unavailability of device-specific changes, will increase the freedom of users of those devices.
Source: opennet.ru