iLinux OS Talk

Possible GPL Violation & License

append delete ClickNin

In response to iLinux Supprort Team about "Learning English".
I'm not a native English speaker myself, so I can't talk in English that fluent. However, what surprise me is that Saint IGNUus is a native English speaker and you still ask him to "Learn English". The fact that you aren't either make me thinking: What the fuck are you thinking right now.

I want to clear a misconception.
If a source code, or a software have an license associated with it, you can't steal it and claims that it's your product no matter what. An license describes what other people can do and cannot do with your product. For example, GPL, MIT, CC, etc.

Now let me explain how iLinux is possibly violated GPL.
First, you are forcing OEM/Merchant who want to preinstall this OS have to pay a fee, which is not allowed in GPL at all, at least, without the source code provided for free no matter what.

“4. The Creator of this Free Software Entity reserves all Copyrights, all Intellectual Properties and all Rights for his Creation and for the Components he created, including but not limited to, Applications, Code, Scripts, Artwork, Icons, Fonts etc.”

You only own what you made, which in this case, GUI design, icon and wallpaper of iLinux, and possibly others too, which I may not know. But you does not own Linux kernel (what Debian use), MATE (DE of iLinux) and Debian (what iLinux use as a base). Linux is licensed under GPLv2, and bundling a GPL (FOSS) software in a Proprietary (non-free) license is totally not allowed, and it's counted as GPL Violation.

From this, you also violate section 5 and section 11 of your own Proprietary license.
Section 5

“5. You can do whatever you want with this Free Software Entity, as long as:

You do not violate the individual Rights, Copyrights, Intellectual Properties, Patents and Licenses of the other Free Software Entities it may contain.

You do not violate the Copyrights, Intellectual Properties and Rights of the Creator of this Free Software Entity (George Dimitrakopoulos) and of the Components he created.

You do not change the Name and the Logo of this Free Software Entity.

You do not create and distribute derivatives or modified versions of this Free Software Entity that will contain all or some of the Components created by the Creator of this Free Software Entity (George Dimitrakopoulos).”

Section 11

“11. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE ABOVE CONDITIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DOWNLOAD, INSTALL, USE OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTE iLINUX OS.”

Section 5 say that:

“You do not violate the individual Rights, Copyrights, Intellectual Properties, Patents and Licenses of the other Free Software Entities it may contain.”

Which you are doing right now, using Linux and bundle it in a Proprietary license, violate the license of Linux and possibly MATE & Debian.
The rest of this section is correct though, as it applies to what you made.

Section 11 say that you are not allowed to do anything with iLinux if you does not agree to this license, which you are still doing (Distribute).

Out of words seriously ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now what is considered a GPL Violation?
From the official site of GNU (GNU is who made the whole GCC, and a lot of famous tools that help shape Linux to what is it today): https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html
A software is considered GPL Violation when:
- No copy of GPL is bundled with the software
- Does not clearly state which software is covered by the License
- Source code is not provided for free no matter what/included in the distro

“Is a written offer for source code included with a distribution of just binaries?
Is the available source code complete, or is it designed for linking in other nonfree modules?”

iLinux does not have a copy of GPL bundled (GPLv2), does not clearly state that Linux kernel is used (I might be wrong) and does not provide the source code for free. So that mean, iLinux violates GPL.

Violation of GPL can get you sued by Linux Torvalds (copyright holder) or FSF in a court of law, and possibly more worse. And what? Read section 10.

“10. Any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating in any way to iLinux OS or this License, shall be submitted only to the Courts of the City of Athens in Hellas (Greece).”

You might get sued by violating GPL before you can sue someone.

So yeah, that's all of my explainations, as iLinux Support Team asked for (opening a new thread).
Also all of this may not correct, I used a lot of online resources and from Wikipedia.

GPLv2: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html
GPL Violation: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.en.html
iLinux Proprietary License: https://ilinuxos.com/license.html

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append delete #1. ClickNin

Also search in Google "linux licensed under" and "gpl violation".

append delete #2. iLinux Support Team

@ClickNin

There is no Violation.

You are trying to mislead and disinform.

iLinux OS License is crystal clear.

The Software Components created by George Dimitrakopoulos and the iLinux OS Development Team are Proprietary.

Every other Software Component in iLinux OS has it's own License.

Let us put it plain and simple:

IF YOU REMOVE the Software Components created by George Dimitrakopoulos and the iLinux OS Development Team, iLinux OS License no longer applies, because what remains is Debian with many preinstalled Applications.

If you don't understand it, it's not our problem.

append delete #3. ClickNin

R.I.P Then.
Well I don't have anymore thing to say about you guys, but I just need to say this: Learn fucking more about how software are licensed and how it works in general, research on how GPL work and also reading your whole license again. It applies to the whole system "iLinux OS" and not just the theme and your stuff and you know I don't want to waste any time to just trying to explain that to you. That page is archived for future usage.

append delete #4. iLinux Support Team

@ClickNin

There is no Violation.

You are trying to mislead and disinform.

iLinux OS License is crystal clear.

The Software Components created by George Dimitrakopoulos and the iLinux OS Development Team are Proprietary.

Every other Software Component in iLinux OS has it's own License.

Let us put it plain and simple:

IF YOU REMOVE the Software Components created by George Dimitrakopoulos and the iLinux OS Development Team, iLinux OS License no longer applies, because what remains is Debian with many preinstalled Applications.

If you don't understand it, it's not our problem.

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