Current mood:	disappointed
Current music:	Planet of the apes original soundtrack - Main titles.
Entry tags:	via

New VIA code drop, new VIA license problems.
It's CEBIT, time for some smoke and mirrors. Time for a new VIA code drop. But some people look further than the marketing, and VIA isn't doing itself any favours this time over, again.

Remember how last year, when XGI released source, and VIA immediately claimed that it suddenly did the same, while it had been, more or less, doing that since the summer of 2003?

Two things really happened then, both borne out of me flaming VIAs source request form:

* Tarballs became freely downloadable for everyone. No more request form. This is what VIA tried to communicate in their press-release, but instead they forgot to point out the minor detail of it just becoming freely downloadable instead of just available.

* Proper MIT license was imposed on all files and the permission to change licenses of older files to the proper MIT license was given too. The MIT license in VIAs files was MIT-ish, except for the fact that the disclaimer only disclaimed VIA and S3, while a proper one disclaims all authors and copyright holders. As a free software developer, you're "liable". Open source? Depends on whose views you follow. Free software? Hrm.

So now, in the new code drop, VidStruc.h and Vinline.h regress to only disclaim VIA and S3 again. Fun.

But, more importantly; in viampg.h (two copies) where MIT was replaced with

* This PROPRIETARY SOURCE CODE contains proprietary information of both
* S3 Graphics, Inc. (S3G) & VIA Technologies, Inc. (VIA); Contents of this file
* shall not be disclosed to any 3rd party, copied or duplicated in any form, in
* whole or in part without prior written consent of S3G & VIA.  THIS SOURCE CODE &
* ANY RELATED DOCUMENTATION (COLLECTIVELY SOFTWARE) ARE PROVIDED AS IS, WITH ALL
* FAULTS, & WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.  S3G & VIA DISCLAIM ALL EXPRESS OR
* IMPLIED WARRANTIES.  USER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT PARTIES FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM
* USE OF SOFTWARE OR ITS DERIVATIVE,INCLUDING, W/O LIMITATION, LOSS OF USE, DATA OR
* PROFITS. USER WHOLLY ASSUMES ALL RISK ARISING FROM USE & PERFORMANCE OF SOFTWARE.

This is most certainly not open source software. This is proprietary nonsense.

Boo, VIA, Boo.

So VIA, how big an emphasis on "linux" are you putting at CEBIT? And how do you feel that your actions match up to your marketing?

And when will we see K8M890 source appear? Surely that's integrated graphics too. Or is K8M890 where your so called commitment stops?

Anyway, congratulations, you've got another marketing disaster on your hands.

UPDATE:
It hasn't even been 8 months since the last license scare, and yes, that wasn't the first time this happened.

In this newsforge article VIA was given the opportunity to comment. Madam Gatt had the following to say (amongst other questionable things): "We thank those people in the community who can forgive our mistakes and work with us with a friendly, positive attitude to continue to improve our efforts"

So VIA, do you really want everyone to forgive your mistake, AGAIN?.