Michael Griego <mgriego@utdallas.edu> wrote:
What exactly are the legalities of using GPL'd code in a completely closed source project?
Nothing gives them permission to use our copyrighted code except the GPL. They either follow the license we offer them, or they do not re-distribute our code. Not following the GPL in this case is called "copyright infringement", and it's illegal.
Don't they have to at least release the code they're using in that module along with any changes they made to that code?
Yes. When they chose to use our code, they either chose to follow the license terms, or they chose to infringe on our rights under copyright law.
Then you start getting into what it links to...
Yup. Now, they can re-write the code, it's not that hard. But *blatantly* stealing it is not just incompetence, it's stupidity. I'm inclined to send them, and their ISP a DMCA "take-down" notice. I'll contact them, and tell them to stop distributing "peapd" until they re-write the code. In the mean-time, I'll post a notice on the main web page. Alan DeKok.