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Re: [News] Free Software Foundation Addresses GPLv3 Misunderstandings and Misconceptions

In article <98aqu3-ldc.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
 Mark Kent <mark.kent@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Why wouldn't you be able to have TiVo, DVD players and phones?

Newer Tivo hardware requires the software to be signed.  Without the 
signing key, you can't run your modified Tivo code on your Tivo box.

RMS calls this "Tivoization" of the GPL and has cited preventing this as 
one of the goals of GPLv3.

As far as phones go, I haven't seen that particularly discussed, but one 
thing that comes to mind is legality.  The firmware on a phone quite 
likely is capable of operating the phone outside of legal limits on 
power output and frequencies used, for example, and then phone 
manufacturer quite possibly is required, as part of obtaining regulatory 
approval, to put limits on what software can be loaded onto the phone.

-- 
--Tim Smith

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