Archos Arnova in violation of GPL and work is in process to make them compliant!

[HaroldG]

Sent the following email over my standard signature (btw, I happen to be a practicing lawyer admitted to the PA Bar.)

I am an end-user of your Arnova 10 G2 tablet, as vertically marketed by Philadelphia Media Networks. I own two such devices at present.

Please be advised that your refusal to release source code for the Arnova 10 G2 may violate US Copyright law.

We are in the process of exploring an appropriate response.

You could simplify things by ceasing and desisting from suggesting that the code is proprietary (it isn’t and you don’t even own it) or a trade secret (it’s not). You are required to release source code for any Android product, and you would much rather this end-user call you out over it than Google or the United States Government.

I urge you to reconsider your insistence on refusing to comply in response to other requests in this regard.

[Finless]

Cool Harold! Where / who did you send that too?

Bob

[kairi223]

I have also emailed them about this. Perhaps someone should try calling them? A phone call(s) is harder to ignore than an email. I would do this myself, I am however not a native English speaker.

[HaroldG]

Cool Harold! Where / who did you send that too?

Bob

Sent to the email addresses in the post immediately above mine.

Harold

[kairi223]

I think we need to broaden the pressure. You see, tehnically, according to gpl it's the distributors duty to provide sources for any GPLed software they distribute. Perhaps we should contact major archos distributors with demands for the source codes to the software packaged in the devices we purchased from them? If I'm not mistaken GPL has been proven to work in a US court and a US distributor would feel motivated to pressure Archos to comply to avoid a lawsuit.

[AlleyTrotter]

Sent to Adorama

Dear Gabriel P.

I still have not received a response as to the disposition of the android source code.
As a requirement of the GPL license you as the distributor are responsible to provide the source code with your product or a means of obtaining it. A disk, URL, website etc.. As I am a software developer my intent when purchasing the Arnova 10bG3, naturally was to develop software for that market. The delay in releasing the source has made this nearly impossible. Can you please advise if the source code is forthcoming or am I spinning my wheels waiting for same?
If you as the distributor have no intention of meeting your legal requirements I would like to return the unit for a full refund.
sincerely
John D. Yost


On 06/13/2012 09:53 AM, Adorama Customer Service wrote:>
> Hi John,
>
> We apologize for the delay


Adorama is where I purchases my second Arnova tablet
Tigerdirect is where I purchased the first
Above email went too both

John

[AlleyTrotter]

the response

So far the telephone # has produced several hours of music


"
Hi John,
We apologize if the means in acquiring the source code is not included with the product you have received. Our first suggestion is to contact the manufacturer. Often, the manufacturer can troubleshoot you right over the phone on how to get the source code, which can avoid the hassle of you having to return the item and any subsequent back-and-forth shipping time.
You can reach the manufacturer directly at:
Archos Tel: 866-489-4718
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.archos.com/
If they are unable to help and advise to return the merchandise; no problem as you are still within the 30 day return policy. Please let us know as soon as possible if they are unable to assist you or advise you to return the item to us. If you have any further questions, or require additional assistance, feel free to contact us. You may reply to this e-mail or call our toll-free phone number: (800)223-2500.
Thanks for Shopping with Adorama.
Mark C. Customer Service Specialist www.adorama.com -
More than a Camera Store (800)223-2500. Join Adorama on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/Adorama Follow Adorama on Twitter! http://twitter.com/#!/adorama Watch & Learn on Adorama TV! http://www.adorama.com/alc/category/AdoramaTV We have assigned the following tracking ID to your inquiry: LTK53305960182X. Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us --------------------------------------------> From: John [MyEmail.com]
To: Cc: Subject: Re: A2012052315125662816 - Ticket# LTK53305960182X
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
Dear Gabriel P.
I still have not received a response as to the disposition of the android source code. As a requirement of the GPL license you as the distributor are responsible to provide the source code with your product or a means of obtaining it. A disk, URL, website etc.. As I am a software developer my intent when purchasing the Arnova 10bG3, naturally was to develop software for that market. The delay in releasing the source has made this nearly impossible. Can you please advise if the source code is forthcoming or am I spinning my wheels waiting for same? If you as the distributor have no intention of meeting your legal requirements I would like to return the unit for a full refund. sincerely John D. Yost"

[AlleyTrotter]

response received so far

So far the telephone # has produced several hours of music

Finally I got thru. No one at this phone has the source. They referred me to this page to which I responded I have already contacted Press Relations with no response. The speaker said he would contact upper corporate on my behalf. I am waiting

john

Contact us

Business Development For OEM, Distributor or BTB requests, please contact: [email protected] Press Relations [email protected] Address Arnova Technology Hong Kong 283 Queen's Road Building Unionway Commercial Centre District Central HK China

"
Hi John,
We apologize if the means in acquiring the source code is not included with the product you have received. Our first suggestion is to contact the manufacturer. Often, the manufacturer can troubleshoot you right over the phone on how to get the source code, which can avoid the hassle of you having to return the item and any subsequent back-and-forth shipping time.
You can reach the manufacturer directly at:
Archos Tel: 866-489-4718
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.archos.com/

[Finless]

Archos is the parent company. I believe this is why all requests to Arnova have fallen on deaf ears. When I look through binaries like the kernel, it appears the code is compiled by Archos.

Bob

[AlleyTrotter]

Archos is the parent company. I believe this is why all requests to Arnova have fallen on deaf ears. When I look through binaries like the kernel, it appears the code is compiled by Archos.

Bob

The fone number given is for Archos
Archos in turn has refered me to Arnova
I have contacted both.
John

[Damo]

Seems that none of these companies no what the hell they are doing

Sent from Xperia Mini Pro ~ Android 4.0.4 ICS

[HaroldG]

We might be getting somewhere

Sent a carefully worded inquiry from my firm account over my typical legal signature block. Received the following in reply from an executive at Archos (whom I will not name at this time):

Thank you for alerting me about this issue.

I can assure you that at Archos, we do consider that GPL code is neither proprietary nor a trade secret.
I am fully aware of the release requirement and am quite surprised to read that somehow someone in our company told you that it was proprietary.

I will investigate this issue and will make sure that the proper source code is made available to you as it should be.

I will come back to you with some news as soon as I can.

I will update the thread when I have heard further from this gentleman.

[Damo]

Sent a carefully worded inquiry from my firm account over my typical legal signature block. Received the following in reply from an executive at Archos (whom I will not name at this time):



I will update the thread when I have heard further from this gentleman.

Well done Harold for pushing this :thumbup:

Sent from Xperia Mini Pro ~ Android 4.0.4 ICS

[Finless]

Awesome Harold!

All those jokes I made about you I take back

Bob

[mozart321]

Curry's in the UK

I emailed Curry's (one of the main electrical retailers in the UK) and asked them for the source code and they replied that the GPL number is on the packaging.
They clearly don't know what source code is and think it is a product number or something!