Netfilter project: Settlement with Patrick McHardy

The netfilter project,which works on packet-filtering for the Linux kernel, has announced that ithas reached a settlement(Englishtranslation) with Patrick McHardy that is "legallybinding and it governs any legal enforcement activities" on netfilter programs and libraries as well as thekernel itself. McHardy has been employingquestionable practices in doing GPL enforcement in Germany over thelast six years or more. The practice has been called "copyright trolling" by some and ispart of what led to the creation of The Principles of Community-Oriented GPL Enforcement.

This settlement establishes that any decision-making aroundnetfilter-related enforcement activities should be based on a majorityvote. Thus, each active coreteam memberat the time of the enforcement request holds one right to vote. This settlement coverspast and new enforcement, as well as the enforcement of contractualpenalties related to past declarations to cease-and-desist.