Possible violation for packeteer

[Renaud Allard]

Renaud Allard wrote:
> 
> Renaud Allard wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have had the opportunity to open a packeteer
>> (http://www.packeteer.com) packetshaper 1700 appliance. I haven't seen
>> any offer of source code or source code itself in the printed docs, on
>> their website or on the CD delivered with the appliance. Neither did I
>> see any reference to the GPL.
>>
>> When mounting the second flash card found in the machine, I was able to
>> find a file called "vmlinuz".
>> The command "strings vmlinuz | grep 2.6" returned me
>> "2.6.9-1.667.root-jc (root at Packeteer) #17 Mon Sep 26 18:13:07 PDT 2005"
>> The command "strings /mnt/vmlinuz | grep linux" returned me "linux:
>> fatal error: A20 gate not responding!"
>>
>> They also ship grub on their appliance.
>>
>> Best Regards
> 
> Here is an answer I received from packeteer.com after asking for their
> source code. This seems now very clear they are infringing GPL and
> trying to hide they are using linux.
> 
> Subject
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Source Code
> 
> 
> Discussion Thread
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Response (Leon Wang) - 04/28/2007 03:17 PM
> Hi Renaud,
>   Thanks for contacting us at Packeteer.  Our PS product line is not
> Linux or Unix based.
>   Please let me know if you need additional information.  Thanks,
> 
>   Leon.
> 
> Customer (Renaud Allard) - 04/28/2007 12:04 AM
> Hello,
> 
> I'd like to obtain the source code for the linux kernel you distribute
> with your packeteer packetshaper 1700. Could you point me to a link on
> your website which contains these sources?
> 
> Thank you
> Best Regards


Packetshaper.com now acknowledges that they are using linux in some way.

Here is a further reply I received from packetshaper.com:
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (David Noriega) - 04/30/2007 11:52 AM
Hi Renaud,

The only use that PacketShaper 1700 uses for Linux is for the boot process.

Regards,
-David

Customer (Renaud Allard) - 04/29/2007 09:25 AM
> >

Dear sir,

Please excuse my second email, I missed your answer and thought you were
redirecting me to your techexchange forum.

I am also really sorry, but your packetshaper 1700 _is_ based on linux
and the kernel version is "2.6.9-1.667.root-jc (root at Packeteer) #17
Mon Sep 26 18:13:07 PDT 2005". There is no need to try to hide that you
are using linux on your products, as it is trivial to prove.

I would also tell that it is not illegal to sell a product based on
linux as long as you freely provide the source code including the
modifications you made to all the GPL products included in your appliance.

I would really like you to give me the url where you host the source
code for this linux kernel. As you also use grub to boot the linux
kernel, it would be very handy if you could provide me the sources for
the version of grub you redistribute.

Thank you

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