A Chinese Copyright Infringement Case: "Since GPL-Based Software Products Already Have an Obligation to Disclose Source Anyway, Isn't It Fine to Copy Them?"

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

As the use of open source software has spread widely, the legal issues surrounding it have grown increasingly complex. In particular, the question of copyright over derivative works based on open source projects that use a copyleft license such as GPL (GNU General Public License) is a thorny subject for many companies. A recent software copyright infringement lawsuit in China offers important implications for this issue.

Parties to the Lawsuit

Plaintiff: Wangjing Technology (Wangjing)
Defendants:
- Yibang Communication Technology (Yibang)
- Qi’ao Network Technology (Qi’ao)
- and three individuals (Liu, Wu, Xie)

Overview of the Case

In 2009, Wangjing developed a converged communication smart gateway product called “OfficeTen.”

China's First GPL Lawsuit Case: VirtualApp

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Hello, this is Haksung Jang.

In September 2021, it was reported through a Chinese news article that the first GPL-related ruling in China had been handed down. I’ve summarized what I understood of it using a translation tool. Please keep in mind that, since I’m not a lawyer and don’t know Chinese, there may be errors in the content. :) If you find any errors, I’d be grateful if you’d let me know at any time (haksung@sk.com).

China on OpenChain KWG

A Chinese Copyright Infringement Case: "Since GPL-Based Software Products Already Have an Obligation to Disclose Source Anyway, Isn't It Fine to Copy Them?"

Parties to the Lawsuit

Overview of the Case

China's First GPL Lawsuit Case: VirtualApp