Bonum Certa Men Certa

Trolling Community Developers of GNU/Linux Via Patent Trolls -- Part II: Monopolies, Patents, and Their GPL Violations

Respect our patents, say those who infringe copyright law

We call you a violator because that's what we are



Summary: The introductory part (first of this series, Part I) explained the problem at hand; today we look at one particular aspect of the problem, namely GPL violations and cover-up

THERE is a story with a twist or a tinge of hypocrisy, as mentioned in passing last year [1, 2]. As readers are likely aware by now (having heard about it), the EPO under Benoît Battistelli and António Campinos lobbies aggressively for European software patents, which they grant regardless of the law (and pressure judges to say "OK").



"We'd like to begin by introducing readers to the GPL violations at hand."This story isn't about the EPO, at least not directly. It concerns trolls (or patent trolls) that intimidate the Free software community while taking away its work and violating the licence, i.e. infringing copyright law.

We'd like to begin by introducing readers to the GPL violations at hand. We've been kindly contacted and supplied with proof, which is publicly available in a proprietary software platform called GitHub (i.e. visible for all to see).

"Regarding GPL violations," a source told us about the aggressor, "it's apparent that their implementation of Dolby Vision on AMLogic SoCs violates the GPL."

So intimidation tactics seem to have been adopted. "Anyway," the source asserted, "here are two files that AMLogic and Dolby provide without sources."

  1. dovi.a is a binary object which is bundled with U-Boot (which is GPLv20 without any sources and linked at build time for AMLogic SoCs. One customer published AMLogic sources here, and you can see this violation for yourself: https://github.com/khadas/u-boot/commit/bf69339498b9f6efc811c278b80ed2c0fb168ae0


  2. dovi.ko is a kernel module which is shipped to customers that implement Dolby Vision support. This kernel module is stated to be GPL:


To reproduce:

strings dovi.ko | grep license
license=GPL
__UNIQUE_ID_license9
__UNIQUE_ID_license9


These binaries are expected to run on specific licensed AmLogic chips which supposedly have additional hardware (sounds like a crypto check) to facilitate playback.

In the next part we'll explain some of the context, but for the time being we also focus on covering a major Microsoft/EPO scandal. This means that this particular series may be published a little more slowly. We'll record some videos to show and explain what's going on, probably as we go along. If some of the details seem obscure, it is for source protection purposes.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Problems in Europe Even Before the Cheeto Tariffs
The case of Romania, Europe's notorious Microsoft fan
Oman in 2025: GNU/Linux Growing to 5%
what can Microsoft do about it except sabotage the PCs?
Microsoft Shares Collapse Again (Down $101), Fifth Round of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in Less Than 100 Days in 2025
disaster
 
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, April 07, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, April 07, 2025
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Stock Market, Galène, and DMT Entities
Links for the day
During the Weekend We Said Fedora DEI Requires Proprietary Software, Now the Chat About It Is No Longer Accessible Over the Open Web
is this just a coincidence and an habitual change in Element?
Links 07/04/2025: US Measles Fatalities and China Launches HDMI and DisplayPort Alternative
Links for the day
Links 07/04/2025: More Cuts to Science Funding, Snail-speed Internet in Germany
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Leasehold and Safe Gifts
Links for the day
In Some Countries, Laptops and Desktops Become a Dying Breed (Even Before Tariffs), Windows Has Nowhere to Go
expect more GNU/Linux on new and existing laptops
When the Credibility or 'Quality' of Clients Ceases to Matter, It's About Helping Rich Companies Like Microsoft Censor Critics (No Matter the Risks)
Bad ideas typically result in undesirable outcomes
UAE: GNU/Linux and Android at Record Levels, Windows at New Lows and Falling Below Apple
Even iOS is measured as bigger than Windows this month
Links 07/04/2025: Reddit Occupied (Social Control Media Controlled by Oligarchy), Demise of Globalisation Ongoing
Links for the day
Windows Has Fallen to All-Time Lows in Switzerland Since GNU Celebrated 40th Anniversary (GNU’s 40th Birthday in Biel, Switzerland)
GNU/Linux has been doing well in Switzerland
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, April 06, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, April 06, 2025
Links 07/04/2025: Leaving Gemini/smolweb and Mastodon Migrations
Links for the day
In Iraq, Windows 3.1 (Percent)
There's also zero
One Person's Take on Jef Spaleta, the New Fedora Project Leader
"With a little searching, I wonder what else may be found regarding Microsoft."
Links 06/04/2025: Flood, Cool Gemini Capsule, and Long Form
Links for the day
Links 06/04/2025: Science, Politics, and Pricier Goods
Links for the day
LLM Slop Has Virtually Killed unixmen.com and Many Other Sites
There's no longer any incentive to write real articles in there
Sharp Declines for Microsoft Windows in Bangladesh (Pop. ~175,000,000), Big Gains for GNU/Linux
Microsoft Windows has been having a really hard time in poor countries
Links 06/04/2025: Fake Reviews, Privatisation Heists, and "AI" as Smokescreen for Impoverishing Humans
Links for the day
Taking a Moral Stand Against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and the Worst Offenders/Facilitators
Any other stance would sidle with moral depravity or moral hazard
Links 06/04/2025: Many New Acts of Repression and Elements of Financial Depression
Links for the day
In Qatar GNU/Linux Rose From Under 1% to Over 4% in Two Years (or Over 5% If Counting ChromeOS)
It's a big improvement compared to what we saw last year
LLM Scrapers Are a Nuisance, But They're Also a Reminder It's Time to Make Your Site Static
Perhaps the best protection is the ability to endure surges
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, April 05, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, April 05, 2025
Links 06/04/2025: Attacks on Education, Fake Patents, and Fake (Illegal) Patent Courts
Links for the day
France: Apple and Microsoft Down, GNU/Linux Up to New Record Levels
How will tariffs against France impact things in the coming months?