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From: nelson@image.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans,comp.protocols.tcp-ip,comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Please boycott Xircom
Message-ID: <1990Sep26.042027.23110@news.clarkson.edu>
Date: 26 Sep 90 04:20:27 GMT
Sender: news@news.clarkson.edu
Reply-To: nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu (aka NELSON@CLUTX.BITNET)
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Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
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Xircom has been distributing a packet driver while violating the copyright
on it.  I wrote the skeleton of the Clarkson packet drivers, which is
copyrighted under the GNU General Public License.  This copyright requires
that code which is linked with mine be available in source form.  I allowed
them to require a signed nondisclosure form, provided that source code be
given to anyone willing to sign.

They have violated that copyright and agreement by refusing to
distribute the source code, have agreed that they are violating it,
and have ceased distribution of the packet driver.  This means that
Xircom Ethernet adapters no longer come with a packet driver.  If your
application requires a packet driver, you will be unable to use a
Xircom adapter.

I am asking anyone who was considering the purchase of a Xircom adapter
to purchase a D-Link adapter instead, and tell Xircom why you did not
buy their product.

No, I don't have D-Link's address.  Perhaps some kind soul who reads
this will supply it to me.  There is also another company (whose name I
do not recall) that makes pocket Ethernet adapters.

--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu])  Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
It's better to get mugged than to live a life of fear -- Freeman Dyson