"Pimp my iPod"

[ilikedirt]

Just saw this on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.de/Pimp-my-iPod-iPod-Video-iPod-Nano-iPod-Mini_W0QQitemZ120054643720QQihZ002QQcategoryZ8267QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks like someone sells the service of installing Rockbox and install a custom theme on an iPod. No word on Rockbox (they always call it Pimp my iPod) though and no further information like battery life or other issues.

edit: now you're responsible for the "pimping" of innocent iPods

[Spug]

I wonder if he is violating the GPL? And the WPS copyrights?

[Hweb21]

$32.91 US dollars + $9.08 shipping dollars = $41.99 US Dollars
wow that's a lot of money for that.  

edit: not sure if my calculations are right  

[soap]

At the least he is implying there is a working (A/V) MPEG video player.

[scorche]

Well from the pictures on the ebay page and all, it is from spidersoftware.de - a game development company as they call themselves.

This does not look good, especially from them not giving ANY credit WHATSOEVER to rockbox or the WPS creators.

Looks like we have some talking to do.

Nice find.

EDIT: Also, I wonder how they expect people to know how to use it without any documentation.  They could of course send them the manual, although it could be modified.  Another question would be if they change the boot screen to remove or change the rockbox logo.  I will attempt to find out.

[bascule]

I will attempt to find out.

Go scorche!

Are you going to challenge the seller directly, or find out via spidersoftware?

[scorche]

I plan on posing as a perspective buyer to gather more information and then see how it goes from there.  However, I will not do this until I speak with some people...

[LinusN]

Well, it is not forbidden to sell Rockbox, as long as they provide the source code (could be as simple as a link to http://www.rockbox.org). The WPS's are a different matter.

Sure, why not ask them a few questions? Go ahead - but don't be deceptive yourself.

[scorche]

There is no reason to be deceptive.  The only deceiving I am doing is to be interested in his service.    And that is just for the introductory message to see if he mentions Rockbox or claims that it is his own work.

I am not after a taking down of this service (hence why I am not writing a message to eBay...yet anyway).  I just want to see credit given where it is due and see that he at least does things properly.

[Llorean]

Well, for one thing, none of the WPSes in our gallery are explicitly under any licenses, which means that in terms of US copyright law (which doesn't necessarily apply here, but I hardly know what copyright laws are like in his country) he can't redistribute them on the iPod, which he's doing.

As well, doesn't the GPL actually require him to host the source code, if he's distributing the software as a binary? I thought that one of the things that came up recently in regard to the GPL was the fact that you couldn't simply link to source code hosted somewhere else if you were redistributing a binary because there was never a guarantee that it would be there, or available as the same version as your binary. I seem to recall that coming up in regards to some complaint.

[Febs]

Section 3 of the GPL provides that he can distribute the binary "under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above" provided that he also either (a) includes the source code, or (b) accompanies the distribution with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to provide the source code.  Section 1, in turn, requires that the distributor "conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program."

In terms of whether he can link to the source code, I don't see anything in the GPL that allows him to merely link to the source code if he is distributing a binary.  There is a provision that allows links to the source code, but that appears to apply only when the distribution of the binary is made by allowing copying from a place:  "If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source code from the same place counts as distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not compelled to copy the source along with the object code."  Here, however, the distributor is not distributing the binary by "offering access to copy from a designated place," so this provision does not appear to apply.

I agree that the re-distribution of themes appears to be a copyright violation, and that alone should be sufficient to cause ebay to close the auction.

[scorche]

Good to know.  Thanks a lot Febs.  This should prove valuable if it gets to a point where it is necessary.

[alfred]

One of the incredible things is that he offers to change the skin after the initial installation for 5 Euros plus shipping if you send it in...

[bk]

I don't think we should gloss over the WPS/theme issue so quickly. I think there should be some explicit licensing stated for the themes, especially since right now different people are contributing modified versions of themes that have no clear copyright terms (other than the default 'all rights reserved' which would seem to prohibit modification...).

[jacobts]

i wonder if it is just the videoplayer (doesnt say with sound)