gpl-violations.org

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gpl-violations.org

URL	gpl-violations.org
Commercial?	no
Type of site	Copyright violation information site
Available language(s)	English
Created by	Harald Welte
Launched	2004

The GPL Violations project was founded in 2004 by Harald Welte. According to its website, its goals are to "raise public awareness of the infringing use of free software, and thus putting pressure on the infringers, give users who detect or assume GPL-licensed software is being misused a way to report them to the copyright holders, assist copyright holders in any action against GPL infringing organizations," and to "distribute information on how a commercial entity using GPL licensed software in their products can comply with the license." ^[1]

In 2005, the gpl-violations.org project uncovered evidence that Fortinet had used GPL code in its products against the terms of the license, and used cryptographic tools to conceal the violation. The violation was alleged to have occurred in the FortiOS system, which the gpl-violations.org project said contained elements of the Linux kernel. In response, a Munich court granted a temporary injunction against the company, preventing it from selling products until they were in compliance with the necessary license terms ^[2]; Fortinet was forced to make their FortiOS available free in compliance with GPL licensing ^[3].

On September 6, 2006, the gpl-violations.org project prevailed in court litigation against D-Link Germany GmbH regarding D-Link's alleged inappropriate and copyright infringing use of parts of the Linux Kernel.^[4] The judgement ^[5] finally provided the on-record, legal precedent that the GPL is valid and that it will stand up in court.