[Pdns-users] Warp3 Hosting violates the GPL

[tehdecline at hotmail.com]

Although I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, I hope 
that someone here can give some advice regarding the following.
During my search for a powerdns management solution it came to my 
attention that a company called "warp3" has rebranded a gpl powerdns 
frontend with some modifications to its code.

Now, I wouldn't consider to be much of a problem, if it wasn't for the 
following.

In addition to rebranding the templates, they have encrypted the backend 
with ioncube and charge users a monthly fee for a "leased license".

If anyone wants to see for himself, just check out the diff patch I 
posted on http://pastebin.ca/896719

When i asked them to show me their source code they refused, stating the 
following.


=========================
I Don't think you fully understand the scope of the GPL.

The application that You are selling is albeit heavily modified, still a
derivative work and thereby covered by sections 2A and 2B of the GPL

warp3 wrote:
 >
 > Not Entirely correct.
 >
 > The code has been heavily modified to work with PHP5 and usage has
 > been expanded to work with Secondary DNS management, FallBack MX and
 > an Expired Domain grabber.
 >
 > Regards,
 > "warp3"
 >
 >  "Me" wrote:
 >> Just for the record, I know what you did.
 >>
 >> http://pastebin.ca/896719
 >>
 >> According to this patch your code is simply a repackaged version of
 >> Copyleft software.
 >>
 >> You are currently in violation according to the terms of the GPL.
 >>
 >>
 >> "Me" wrote:
 >>> PLease provide me with the sources of DNSmanager 0.12a.
 >>>
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >
 >


=========================

After this I haven't heard back from them.

Now, for now i'll just take it that this is just someone who didnt 
understand the gpl license with no other malicious intent, but is there 
any way I could get them to force them to open their sources?


PowerDNS Administration - http://sourceforge.net/projects/powerdnsadmin  
(The original project)

Public DNS Administrator - 
http://sourceforge.net/projects/publicdnsadmin (The Public DNS Fork)

DNSmanager - http://freshmeat.net/projects/dnsmanager/ ( Blatant GPL 
leeches.)