Hello! Version 2.35 of EchoVNC for Windows is now available:
http://www.echogent.com/download_echovnc.htm
or
ftp://ftp.echogent.com/EchoVNC/windows/bin
This version includes 3 minor updates, one major one:
* Repaired Viewer connection box behavior
* Repaired .vnc file behavior
* EchoWare DLL repairs for large connection groups
* Removed Java Viewer capability from the server
About that last one...It has come to our attention recently that one
of the EchoVNC features we inherited from our port of legacy VNC
platforms has become the basis of a recent patent infringement
lawsuit(1).
I have given the lawsuit details only a superficial review, and I am
hardly qualified to determine anything regarding patent infringement,
patent validity, timeliness, or how the patent holder's grant of a GPL
license relates to the issue. However, in my personal opinion, the
lawsuit appears to be regarding a patent that teaches a method whereby
a remote desktop server (e.g., a VNC server) delivers a Java Viewer
applet to a Viewer-side user via an HTTP connection.
In my understanding, this capability exists in the source code that is
still available under a GPL license from the patent holder
themselves(2).
And while it has been argued that "users and modifiers of GPL’d software
have at least an implied license to use patented inventions included
in the
GPL’d software"(3), in order to eliminate any possible risk of
damages to
the patent holder, I have decided to de-feature that legacy capability
from
future versions of EchoVNC, starting with the latest release, version
2.35.
I politely request that all EchoVNC users update your installations to
this
latest version.
Please note that this feature in *no way impacts* the distinctive,
value
added feature of EchoVNC, namely its "firewall friendliness" via the use
of the echoWare toolkit. None of that changes, and isn't affected in
any way
by this update. Also, EchoVNC will of course remain open-source and
GPL'd, as it always has been.
Again, please do not mistake this letter for legal advice. I am not a
lawyer, and do not even play one on TV. :) I am hardly the person that
can
analyze the obtuse claim language of this patent and determine whether
or not it actually reads on what I'm sure many of you consider to be
legacy,
totally ordinary VNC software capabilities that is still available
from the
patent holder under a GPL license. If those details ever get worked out,
perhaps the feature will come back in a future release.
I apologize for the inconvenience, and am happy to discuss any
concerns you might have about this decision. While we at Echogent are
strong supporters and contributors to the open-source software
community,
we also remain respectful of worldwide intellectual property laws.
regards,
Scott Best
EchoVNC project coordinator
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LogMeIn
(2) ftp://ftp.tridia.com/pub/gpl/TridiaVNC_1_5_15_win32src.zip
(3) http://www.fenwick.com/docstore/Publications/IP/Patent_Rights.pdf
PS: You're receiving this email either because you said yes to being
on an email list when you downloaded our software, or you're a paying
customer, or you're a member of the EchoVNC email list. If you'd like to
stop receiving these emails, just reply and say so, and I'll take your
name
off our lists.
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