[Asterisk-Dev] Petition for IAX firmware

[Nick Bachmann]

Matt Klein wrote:

>
> Keep in mind that Digium should obey the GPL as should anyone else 
> using their non-commercial products.

Well, maybe they "should," but remember that Digium owns the copyright 
to Asterisk and thus can license it however they want.

> Otherwise, I rip a copy of Asterisk, start selling it as a softswitch 
> with an implementation of SS7, like other, nooone mentioned here, 
> people are doing currently, with all of the source closed out.

You _can_ do this, if you buy a commercial license.

> The specs are open source, Digium modified the open source, the Digium 
> firmware should be open source. Simple concept.

I'm not sure what you're refering to here (which is why I don't like 
top-posting)... the specs for what?  Zaptel cards? They don't really 
have firmware.

> It has nothing to do with 'buying Digium products'. It's about 
> legalities. All of the HW makers must open source every aspect of 
> their modifications if their work is derived from a GPL project.

Yes, if it's someone else's GPL project.  But if they own the copyright, 
they are free to license their changes however they want, including not 
at all.

Nick