diff --git a/www/conservancy/static/linux-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html b/www/conservancy/static/linux-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html index 02c03f83..9f219197 100644 --- a/www/conservancy/static/linux-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html +++ b/www/conservancy/static/linux-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html @@ -148,6 +148,23 @@ </ul> </dd> +<dt>I +see <a href="https://fsf.org/news/conservancy-and-christoph-hellwig-gpl-enforcement-lawsuit">FSF's +statement of support</a>, but why +isn't <a href="https://www.fsf.org/licensing/compliance">FSF enforcing</a> in +this case?</dt> + +<dd>While FSF are the authors and license steward of the GNU GPL, it's up to +the copyright holder to enforce GPL. VMware created an operating system by +combining parts of the kernel named Linux with their own proprietary code, +and then added BusyBox to provide the userspace operating system components. +As such, ESXi is not +a <a href="https://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">traditional GNU/Linux +system</a>. FSF has many copyrights of its own, but these are almost +exclusively on various parts of the GNU system, not on the kernel, Linux. As +such, FSF probably does not have copyright interests available to directly +enforce the GPL regarding the primary issue in this case.</dd> + <dt><em>I</em> care about copyleft and the GPL. How can I help?</dt> <dd>Conservancy needs <a href="#donate-box" class="donate-now">your immediate financial