Verizon Hit With GPL License Suit

By Geoff Duncan Updated December 7, 2007

Verizon Hit With GPL License Suit

The Software Freedom Law Center has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Verizon Communications, alleging the telecommunications giant is illegally distributing the GPL-licensed BusyBox to Verizon FiOS customers. The complaint alleges that Verizon distributed BusyBox to FiOS customers with Actiontec MI424WR wireless routers, and is obligated to provide BusyBox’s source code to its customers under terms of the GPL.

BusyBox is a set of common Unix utilities bundled into a lightweight package with an eye towards use in embedded systems. It is licensed under the GPL version 2 license. This lawsuit marks the fourth time the SFLC has filed an infringement suit on behalf of BusyBox developers Erik Andersen and Rob Landley. Previous suits were filed against High Gain Antennas, Xterasys Corp., and Monsoon Media; however, the suit against Verizon is by far the highest-profile target of any GPL suit to date. The SFLC settled with Monsoon out of court; actions against High Gain Antennas and Xterasys are still pending.

“Our clients licensed BusyBox under the GPL to ensure that all users of the program can access and modify its source code,” said Dan Ravicher, Legal Director of SFLC. “Because Verizon chose not to respond to our concerns, we had no choice but to file a lawsuit to ensure that they comply with the GPL.”

The SFLC says it contacted Verizon about the alleged infringement three weeks ago, and the company never responded.

The suit does not seeks a specific amount in damages; the SFLC would have to determine the extent of the infringement first, which it can only do with information from Verizon that it would obtain through the suit’s discovery process. Verizon has 20 days to respond to the complaint.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Trying to buy a GPU in 2023 almost makes me miss the shortage

Two AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards on a pink surface.

The days of the GPU shortage are long over, but somehow, buying a GPU is harder than ever -- and that sentiment has very little to do with stock levels. It's just that there are no obvious candidates when shopping anymore.

In a generation where no single GPU stands out as the single best graphics card, it's hard to jump on board with the latest from AMD and Nvidia. I don't want to see another GPU shortage, but the state of the graphics card market is far from where it should be.
This generation is all over the place

Computing

HP printers are heavily discounted in Best Buy’s flash sale

The HP - OfficeJet Pro 8034e Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer on a desk with a smartphone.

There’s good news in store if you’re looking to land a new printer at a discount this weekend. Best Buy is having a 48-hour flash sale on HP printers, with several that can compete with the best printers seeing some good prices. HP is almost always one of the best laptop brands, and it’s one of the same when it comes to printers. So if you’re looking for a new home or office printer, read onward on how to save on an HP printer at Best Buy.
HP DeskJet 2755e — $60, was $85

The HP DeskJet 2755e is a good entry-level printer. It’s got you covered if your printing needs are pretty basic, or if you don’t need to print in mass. This is a color InkJet printer, which makes it good for almost all uses. It can also make copies and scan in color, and it has mobile and wireless printing functionality. You can get set up quickly and easily with the HP Smart app that guides you through the setup process, and you can also use this app to print, scan and copy documents from your phone.

Computing

This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations