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diff --git a/docs/busybox.net/license.html b/docs/busybox.net/license.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..f8e0189fc --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/busybox.net/license.html @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +<!--#include file="header.html" --> + + +<h3>The GPL BusyBox license</h3> + +There has been some confusion in the past as to exactly what is +required to safely distribute GPL'd software such as BusyBox as +part of a product. To ensure that there is no confusion +whatsoever, this page attempts to summarize what you should do to +ensure you do not accidentally violate the law. + +<p> + +<p> + +BusyBox is licensed under the GNU General Public License , which +is generally just abbreviated simply as the GPL license, or +just the GPL. <a href="/products.html">Anyone thinking of shipping +BusyBox as part of a product</a> should be familiar with the +licensing terms under which they are allowed to use and +distribute BusyBox. You are advised to take a look over the + +<ul> +<li><a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html">full text of +the GNU General Public License</a>, and +<li><a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html"> +Frequently Asked Questions about the GNU GPL</a> +</ul> +to be sure you (and your lawyers) fully understand them. + +<p> + +The following is a quick summary for the impatient. If you +carefully follow these steps, it will ensure that you are 100% +authorized to ship BusyBox with your product, and have no reason +to worry about lawsuits or being listed on the <a +href="/shame.html">BusyBox Hall of Shame</a> page. You will be +able to sleep peacefully at night knowing you have fulfilled all +your licensing obligations. + +<p> + +If you distribute a product, it should either be accompanied by +<b>full source for all GPL'd products</b> (including BusyBox) +and/or a <b>written offer</b> to supply the source source for all +GPL'd products for the cost of shipping and handling. The source +has to be in its preferred machine readable form, so you cannot +encrypt or obfuscate it. You are not required to provide full +source for all the closed source applications that happen to be +part of the system with BusyBox, though you can certainly do so +if you feel like it. But providing source for the GPL licensed +applications such as BusyBox is manditory. + +<p> + +<b>Accompanied by source</b> generally means you place the full +source code for all GPL'd products such as BusyBox on a driver CD +somewhere. + +<p> + +<b>A written offer</b> generally means that somewhere in the +docs for your product, you write something like + +<blockquote> +The GPL source code contained in this product is available as a +free download from http://blah.blah.blah/ +</blockquote> +Or you can offer source by writing +somewhere in the docs for your product something like +<blockquote> +If you would like a copy of the GPL source code in this product +on a CD, please send $9.99 to <address> for the costs of +preparing and mailing a CD to you. +</blockquote> +<p> + +Keep in mind though that if you distribute GPL'd binaries online +(as is often done when supplying firmware updates), you <b>must</b> +make source available online and inform those downloading +firmware updates of their right to obtain source. + +<p> + +Additionally, some people have the mistaken understanding that if +they use unmodified GPL'd source code, they do not need to +distribute anything. This belief is not correct, and is not +supported by the text of the +<a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html">text of GPL</a>. +Please do re-read it, and you +will find there is no such provision. If you distribute any GPL'd +binaries, you must also make source available as discussed on +this webpage. + +<p> + +These days, <a href="http://www.linksys.com/">Linksys</a> is +doing a good job at complying with the GPL, they get to be an +example of how to do things right. Please take a moment and +check out what they do with +<a href="http://www.linksys.com/download/firmware.asp?fwid=178"> +distributing the firmware for their WRT54G Router.</a> +Following their example would be a fine way to ensure you have +fulfilled your licensing obligations. + + +<!--#include file="footer.html" --> + |