Czesc Rafal,
I am no ROS developer (but a developer), but reading the list and your dispute for a while.
Besides being highly immoral to remove the copyright of the original author without any license given, the GPL clearly states that you must not remove the copyright information in your derived work.
For more informations you may read the FAQ: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html
!!!!! In the FAQ the following point is relevant in your case: "The GPL requires all copies to carry an appropriate copyright notice." !!!!!
Furthermore you can read the GPL in Polish (although not legally binding in this form) by asking Google for "GPL po polsku". To make it easier for you, here's a direct link: http://gnu.org.pl/text/licencja-gnu.html
Best regards,
Oliver
--- Ursprüngliche Nachricht --- Von: Rafal Kupiec betacomp@gmail.com An: ros-dev@reactos.com Betreff: [ros-dev] Re: New OS built on ReactOS and WinuxOS technology! Datum: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 15:11:09 +0200
My English is bad, so if I don't have a reason, please correct me: I readed in GPL:
"2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
* a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent noticesstating that you changed the files and the date of any change.
* b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that inwhole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License.
* c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactivelywhen run, you must cause it, when started running for such interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on the Program is not required to print an announcement.)"
As I readed: "(...) You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program (...)"
- I may modify ReactOS Sources, what I did.
- I must inform, that I modified ReactOS Sources, so I wrote as: "Based
on ReactOS Technology". In GPL isn't any fragment that means that I must write all authors of this file.
If i don't have reason, please correct me and quote me any fragment of GPL, that constains this reason.
Yours faithfully, Rafal Kupiec
Alex Ionescu wrote:
Rafal Kupiec wrote:
I hope so. Thanks!
Rafal,
I am checking out your kernel code (because what's what I work in) and I noticed you've removed all notices of my copyright on those files. I cannot speak for other developers, but for myself, I am disgusted and pissed. I retain all copyright on the code that I've written (which means about 40% of your kernel) and I demand for my name and contact information to be re-added to your sources. What you are doing is illegal under copyright law. You cannot take a book, rip out the copyright notice and write "WRITTEN BY RAFAL KUPIEC". I am willing to assume that you've made an honest mistake. I'm hoping that you will change the files which contain my copyright on them to reflect this. I assume other developers would want the same, but I cannot legally speak up for them.
Best regards, Alex Ionescu
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