Re: Linksys WRT54G and the GPL

[Davide Libenzi <davidel@xmailserver.org>]

On Sun, 8 Jun 2003, Russell King wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 08, 2003 at 02:08:39PM -0700, Davide Libenzi wrote:
> > IANAL, but in many coutries the fact that you didn't know is not an
> > excuse. When you integrate alien parts in your products you become
> > responsible and you have to be sure about all aspects that arise.
>
> What if, when you obtained said parts, it came with a license which
> appeared to be genuine, but in fact was illegally changed in a country
> which has not signed up to the copyright treaty?  (I believe this may
> be part of the story here.)  I believe that you'd need a good copyright
> lawyer, and it may depend upon local law.

I believe that, being the director of a company that will be subject to
potential lawsuits in countries that signed up to the copyright treaty,
I'll stop buying parts from countries that will not guarantee my company
about copyright infringement. Looking their economy to lose huge parts of
its business, maybe it'll suggest those countries to join the copyright
treaty. Yes those parts might be dirt cheap, but if I have to spend big
bucks for lawsuits and if I have to see my company image to lose
sharpness, I'd better go picking up parts where at least I can sue back my
suppliers in case they'll break copyright in what they did license to me.



- Davide