Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) Served Judicial Suit against the company Vizio , Related With non-fulfillment of the GPL license requirements when distributing firmware to smart TVs based on the SmartCast platform. The proceedings are noteworthy the fact that this is the first in the history of the claim, filed not on behalf of the development member to which property rights belong to the code, but by the consumer who was not provided with the source texts of the components distributed under the GPL license.
Using in its products the code under the voice licenses Manufacturer to preserve Freedom software is obliged to provide source texts, including code of derivative work and installation instructions. Without such actions, the user loses control over software, cannot independently correct errors, add new features and remove unnecessary functionality. Amendments may be required to protect their confidentiality, eliminating problems with their own problems that refuse to eliminate the manufacturer, and extension of the life cycle of the device after the termination of its official support or artificial obsolescence to stimulate the purchase of a new model.
Initially, the SFC organization tried to negotiate peacefully, but the actions through conviction and informing did not meet themselves and the Internet Device Industry had a situation with universal ignoring GPL requirements. To get out of the current situation and the formation of the precedent, it was decided to use more hard legal measures to attract violators to justice and arrange an indicative process over one of the malicious violators.
The lawsuit does not provide for cash compensation, SFC only asks the court to oblige the company to fulfill the GPL conditions in its products and inform consumers about the rights that provide a copylene license. If you eliminate violations, fulfill all the requirements and the provision of an obligation to comply with the GPL in the future, SFC is ready to immediately complete the trial.
Initially, Vizio was notified of the presence of a GPL violation in August 2018. At about a year, attempts were made to resolve the conflict with diplomatic way, but in January 2020 the company fully removed from the negotiations and ceased to respond to letters of SFC representatives. In July 2021, a TV model support was completed, in the firmware of which violations were identified, but SFC representatives found that SFC recommendations were not taken into account and the conditions of GPL are also violated in newer models of devices.