Topic Information

GPL is the most widely used Open Source Software license. The unique Copyleft character of GPL leads to the compulsory derivative work licensing under it. Due to the insufficient knowledge of the Copyleft character, many companies violate GPL and hence infringe the copyright of the Open Source Software under GPL.

Therefore, OSSF invited the core members of the GPL-Violations.org, Harald Welte and Armijn Hemel to be our distinguished speakers of this workshop. GPL-Violations.org is an organization focusing on GPL violation cases. Mr. Welte is the founder of the GPL-Violations.org and the copyright holder of several well-known GPLed components. In the past few years, he has been instituting some successful GPL violation lawsuits in Europe. Mr. Hemel is in charge of the technical inspection of the GPL violation in the GPL-Violations.org for many years. Both of them have intensive knowledge about the GPL and related technical skills.

In this workshop, Mr. Welte and Mr. Hemel will explain the important rules of the GPL and how to comply with the GPL technology. They will also demonstrate some real cases in the afternoon sessions. Speakers will show us how to inspect whether a product contains GPLed code or not and whether a product with GPLed code complies with the obligations of the GPL or not. Through their introduction and technical analysis, the domestic Open Source Software developers will have better understanding about the connotations of the GPL and be more capable of using the GPLed components in commercial products.

Topic Summary

Free and Open Source Software License Compliance, Harald Welte

Free and Open Source Software such as the Linux kernel are used in a wide range of products today. You will find it not only in the PC/Server/Laptop/Netbook world, but especially in embedded devices like DSL routers, WiFi access points, mobile phones, TV sets, car navigation systems. Like any software, Free and Open Source software is subject to copyright and even while it is available free of royalty or license payments, there still are licenses that need to be followed in order to avoid the risk of copyright infringement. The presentation will cover the basic requirements of the most popular Free Software license (the GNU GPL) and illustrate how compliance with this license is achieved. It will discuss legal and business risks associated with violating the GPL, as well as a brief history on real-world legal cases that have been brought forward by the GPL-Violations.org project.

The Nuts and Bolts of GPL Compliance Engineering, Armijn Hemel

In this talk we will discuss the nuts and bolts of GPL compliance engineering. We will discuss which steps we take to discover violations and walk through the most common cases of violations, plus solutions to these violations. We will also discuss the background of why violations happen and what can be done to prevent violations from happening in the future.