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Hi,
a Flight Controller by the tradename 'Rabbit' is being sold at ebay (by an individual going by the name 'vocanlo') and at Goodluckbuy. This product is being sold bundled with onboard firmware (in binary form only) which contains stolen code from the GPL MultiWii project. In this forum is a thread dedicated to this product titled Flight Controller for Quadcopter Multicopter with Fixed Hight Direction Care Free CF here
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1564594.
One RCG user has by disassembly proven the code ripoff (read more about it here http://www.multiwii.com/forum/viewto...8&t=1142#p8052)
I am one of the many developers of the original MultiWii project and as such am entitled to pursue the violation of the GPL. The vendors have been contacted and requested to honour the GPL by
giving credit to the MultiWii roots of the software
providing access to the software changes they have made
Maybe important to note: no monetary claims were made.
Both parties (ebay seller and goodluckbuy) have failed to comply to this rightful request. This is bad for you under at least two aspects:
1. why rabbit policy is bad from a user's perspective
if you own a 'rabbit', you are dependent on some unknown developers for updating the software. If for whatever reason they stop support, you are left with a product which is effective dead.
even if you are lucky enough to catch a working software version from the vendors, you will always have to use outdated software . With the speed of current development in Multi Rotors, you do not want this. In contrast, MultiWii is a very active project.
other Flight Controllers have no way to participate in the efforts the unknown developers have put into their work (whatever that was).
2. why rabbit policy is bad from a developer's perspective
entire code of the MultiWii project is published under the GPL. This is a deliberate decision of the developers and gives users and developers certain rights. It does not mean to give up all rights. What rabbit has done is a clear violation of the rights of all MultiWii developers.
the development of MultiWii can not participate in the possible efforts and gains of the rabbit developers. They have chosen to turn this into a one way street for knowledge.
What is the bottom line?
At the moment we developers have decided to not open a legal case against this gang of vendors and unknown developers. Instead I ask you to
'Do not buy Rabbit Flight Controller'. Choose an honorable alternative instead; there are many to choose from.
Thanks, Hamburger
--------------------------------------------
Mar. 11,2012 Update: to spare interested parties the burden of sifting through boring comments full of ignorance and insults, I have included here my personal summary of the last days
interesting times we live in.
Few days ago I brought to your attention that the producers of the Rabbit product use code they have stolen from the MultiWii project and I did explain some of the negative implications this has for you as a Rabbit customer, the MultiWii project and the general progress with FLight Controllers in this hobby.
A load of responses have been posted and recently the niveau has gone to ground zero. So this may be a good point to sum it all up.
It could have been easy. Ethics and morale put aside, you could have acknowledged the facts I presented, thought about the implications this had for you & your hobby and thought about how the situation could be turned into a joint activity to better your situation as Rabbit customers. (no idea what you could do? Like joining forces and contacting the producers and retailers. Why not demand lower prices, because developers do only copy and paste mostly)
For a review it is easiest to split the responses into 3 groups
A - supporters
yes, some of you understand the issue of theft of intellectual property, the bad effects it has and implications for their hobby and its progress. You made some excellent statements and this hobby is better for you being here. You know who you are and I thank you.
B - the silent majority (?)
you did not (want to) get involved and comment on the matter for your own reasons. I will not start to speculate on your reasons. I feel nothing for you and I have nothing to say to you.
C - the bad and the ugly
you spent a lot of effort on
bashing me for disturbing the 'clean' hobby world.
Try harder, the Rabbit thefts had brought the bad into your hobby long before. Best to learn the difference between bearer of bad news and the bad news.
expressing complete ignorance on the concepts of open source and open source under a licence (GPL or other)
displaying a broad range of misinterpretation of what GPL implies ( usually in combination with a mixup wrt. monetary limitations and implications)
lots of darwinism (involving chinese ethics, capitalism, free world, free enterprise, etc.) to
insulting me (and others) and calling me names
We are not fellow hobbyists, we merely are by chance in the same hobby, if at all. I have no sympathy for you.
大体意思是，玉兔飞控用了Multiwii project的代码。 但是没有按照GPL的原则公开源代码。
以为RCgroup上面的会员对玉兔飞控的BIN 文件进行了反汇编，发现里面含有GPL multiwii的源代码。按照GPL 的原则，对源代码修改是要公开自己的源代码，或者给credit给multiwii。Muliwii的开发成员已经对Ebay上面的卖家还有GOODLUCKBUY 网站进行了投诉。还有他们通过各种方式联系玉兔的开发者，并且要求公开源代码，或者是给credit 给multiwii的开发成员。英文好的可以自己上去看网站。
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1610439
[ 本帖最后由 bnn1044 于 2012-4-26 22:01 编辑 ] |
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