On Thursday 22 February 2007 10:00, Jordan Peacock wrote:
> I didn't realize that; I was under the impression that distribution
> of code (whether 'bundled' in hardware or not) was under the
> restrictions of the license. Otherwise, what's to prevent me from
> selling computers fully loaded with software and denying access to
> the source code using the same concepts?

Because in the case of a computer you have access to the filesystems 
and binaries and can distribute them to other commodity devices.  In 
the case of your microwave the only way to get the software off it is 
to remove the ROMs from the devices and use specialized hardware to 
get them off, and in the end you have a 'program' that will only run 
on their hardware.

I'm not completely talking out my ass here yanno, I know several 
people that work in the embedded hardware industry and have 
investigated this pretty carefully.  If this was an issue people 
wouldn't be doing it.

If you think cisco is violating the law I'd like to see proof of 
it...such as a court case they've lost and had to pay out to someone.

Or you can try and get a copy of the firmware in your microwave.

More than willing to be proven wrong here.....

-- 
Thanks,

Josh Paetzel