netfilter/iptables project announces agreement on GPL licensing with Gigabyte

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2004-Oct-22: netfilter/iptables project concludes agreement on GPL licensing with Gigabyte

The netfilter/iptables project (http://www.netfilter.org/) announces another successful enforcement of the GNU General Public License(GPL), a license commonly used with Free Software, such as the Linux Operating System Kernel. In an agreement with Gigabyte Technologies B.V., the European subsidiary of Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. in Taiwan (http://www.giga-byte.com/), the netfilter/iptables project was able to bring the Gigabyte BR404W and B49G products into GPL compliance.

The source code of the GPL-licensed components such as the Linux Kernel and the iptables packet filter is now made available via the Gigabyte Support Homepage. Furthermore, other obligations of the GPL such as reproduction of the full license terms will be fulfilled by Gigabyte.

As part of the agreement, Gigabyte will show its appreciation of the Free Software movement by making a donation to the netfilter/iptables project.

"We are very happy about the positive attitude of Gigabyte while resolving this licensing issue", says Harald Welte, chairman of the netfilter/iptables project and founder of the gpl-violations.org project.

About the netfilter/iptables project

The netfilter/iptables project provides state-of-the-art network security software for Linux firewalling, packet filter and network address translation (NAT), distributed as Free Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Being part of the linux operating system kernel, the software is running on virtually every Linux installation.

About Gigabyte Technologies B.V.

Gigabyte Technologies B.V. is the European Subsidiary of Giga-Byte Technologies Co. Ltd, one of the worldwide largest suppliers of PC Motherboards. Gigabyte also offers Graphic Adaptors, Notebooks and also Peripherals such as the Wireless Routers BR404W and B49G, which incorporate the netfilter/iptables packet filter.

About the gpl-violations.org project

The gpl-violations.org project is a volunteer-based effor to make corporate distributors of GPL-licensed Free Software aware of the licensing issues involved with GPL-licensed software.

For any reported case of GPL license violations, it will try to locate the respective copyright holders and inform them about possible actions to bring their products into compliance.

gpl-violations.org is founded and run by Harald Welte, a long-term contributor and developer of GPL-licensed software.