[mythtv-users] www.d1.com.au

[Stef Coene]

On Thursday 07 April 2005 14:25, Stef Coene wrote:
> On Thursday 07 April 2005 13:42, dean collins wrote:
> > Actually I found out about them after doing some research on cablecard.
> > I've had a chat to the company and they tell me that there software is
> > 20-50% better than anything else available on the MythTV platform
> > because of the amount of independent development they have done.
> >
> > What I am trying to understand is what rights they have to sell software
> > that has been developed from the Myth TV platform.
>
> Why should they not be able to do so ?
> Mythtv is software released under the GPL license.  If they take the mythtv
> source and change something, they have to release the changes under the GPL
> license.
> They may sell Mythtv, but if you get the binary's from them, they have to
> give you the option to get the source.  A link to an ftp site is enough
> (some argue they can also send a printed version of the source).
From http://www.d1.com.au/downloads.html you can download the Manual for the 
"Home Media Centre.  On page 58, you can find the GPL license and this is a 
snip form it:

Your Rights Under the GNU GPL

The software used in the Home Media Centre is based on GNU General
Public License (GNU GPL) software, with some further enhancements
and modifications.

This gives you, the purchaser, certain legal rights including the right to
examine, modify and re-distribute the source code without the permission
of Development One. To allow you to do these things, Development One
has placed a copy of the Home Media Centre source code on the unit
itself. In order to access the source code you will need to connect a VGA
monitor, keyboard and mouse to the appropriate ports on the back of the
unit.      You can then logon as user “root” with the password 
“HomeMediaCentre”. You can find the source code in various directories
under “/root/hmc/”. For further information regarding the software and the
modifications you may make to it, refer to the MythTV PVR Project at
http://www.mythtv.org.

However, be aware that you may only modify and distribute the source
code in accordance with the GNU GPL. Before you do any of these
things please ensure you fully understand your obligations by viewing the
full text of the GNU GPL at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt.



So the software is not violating of the GPL in anyway ......
If someone ownes a HMC, he can do a diff with the mythtv source and see what 
they changed.  Maybe some changes can be contributed back to the mythtv 
project.
Or he can compile his own binary's and resell the HMC, there is nothing they 
can do about it.

Stef