2019-04-04 11:52:02 -07:00
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{% extends "base_compliance.html" %}
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{% block subtitle %}Copyleft Compliance Projects - {% endblock %}
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2021-10-19 08:13:55 -07:00
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{% block submenuselection %}PastLawsuits{% endblock %}
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2019-04-04 11:52:02 -07:00
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{% block content %}
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2021-10-19 08:34:20 -07:00
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<h1>Previous Copyleft Litigation</h1>
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<p>Pursuant to our <a href="/copyleft-compliance/principles.html">Principles of
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Community-Oriented GPL enforcement</a>, Software Freedom Conservancy sees
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litigation as an last resort when other methods to achieve copyleft
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compliance fail. Below, we discuss the outcome of past compliance
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lawsuits where Conservancy played a role.</p>
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<h2 id="best-buy-et-al">Software Freedom Conservancy v. Best Buy, et al</h2>
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<p>On 14 December 2009, Software Freedom Conservancy filed a federal copyright
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lawsuit against 14 defendants, including Best Buy, Samsung, Westinghouse, and
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JVC.
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The <a href="https://ia600207.us.archive.org/21/items/gov.uscourts.nysd.355978/gov.uscourts.nysd.355978.docket.html">docket
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of that lawsuit is available (on archive.org)</a> and
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the <a href="/docs/busybox-complaint-2009-12-14.pdf">original complaint is on
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our website</a>.</p>
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<p>Conservancy settled with each defendant at different times, and the
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dismissals can be seen in the docket. Generally speaking, and pursuant to
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our <a href="/copyleft-compliance/principles.html">Principles of
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Community-Oriented GPL enforcement</a>, Conservancy never settles a lawsuit
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unless we believe that full compliance has been achieved (or will be
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achieved imminently) with the terms of <em>all</em> copyleft licenses
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on <em>all</em> software included in the devices at issue in any lawsuit
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that we've filed.</p>
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<p>One oft-stated confusion about this litigation was that we sued Best Buy
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for sales of third-party devices in their stores. <strong>That is not
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accurate</strong>. Best Buy had a house-brand DVD player under the
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“Insignia” “house brand” that they produced as
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their own product.</p>
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<h2 id="vmware">Christoph Hellwig's VMware Lawsuit</h2>
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<p>Conservancy partially funded and assisted in coordination of Christoph
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Hellwig's lawsuit against VMware in Germany. That case concluded in 2019.
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You can view the relevant announcements and analysis that Conservancy has
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published about the case below, starting with the announcement regarding
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the conclusion of the case:</p>
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<p>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="/news/2019/apr/02/vmware-no-appeal/">VMware Suit Concludes in Germany</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://faif.us/cast/2019/apr/22/0x66/"><cite>Free as in
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Freedom</cite> podcast that discusses the conclusion of the
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lawsuit</a></li>
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<li><a href="/news/2016/aug/09/vmware-appeal/">Announcement of Appeal</a></li>
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<li><a href="/news/2015/mar/05/vmware-lawsuit/">Original Press Release</a></li>
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<li><a href="/copyleft-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-appeal.html">Funding our Compliance Work</a></li>
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<li><a href="/copyleft-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html">
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<abbr title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</abbr> on VMware Lawsuit</a></li>
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<li><a href="/copyleft-compliance/vmware-code-similarity.html">VMware's &
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Christoph's Code Similarity Analysis</a></li>
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</ul>
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</p>
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{% endblock %}
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