In Germany, the court should once again bend over a copyrightzaak that router manufacturer AVM has brought against software company Cybits. The Free Software Foundation Europe argues, however, that AVM the GPLv2 license violation.
The German AVM, among others, known for the Fritzbox routers, complained in 2010, the firm Cybits. According to AVM be a breach of copyright if customers filtering software of Cybits on his Linux-running routers install, as they, in their turn, the AVM custom firmware customize. Another district court upheld a sales ban earlier, but as a judge in Berlin on Tuesday to review or AVM or not equal.
The non-profit organization Free Software Foundation Europe and Gpl-violations.org chime, sounding the alarm about the case. They argue that any judgment in favor of AVM can have important consequences for the use of software with a GPLv2 license. This license gives companies the right to GPLv2 software, but all modifications must as open source at the disposal of others to be made.
According to the FSFE, and Gpl-violations.org get companies, if the router manufacturer wins the case, the possibility of third-party software to refuse. Users of these products would then have to deal with a vendor lock-in. In addition, it would AVM an unfair advantage compared to companies who abide by the GPLv2 guidelines, while the FSFE also believes that AVM the foundations of the opensourcemodel affected and in danger. Moreover, both organizations that AVM the GPLv2 license violate if other parties are hindered in their right to open-source software to adapt.