[$] SFC v. VIZIO: who can enforce the GPL?

TheSoftware Freedom Conservancy (SFC) issuingVIZIO over smart TVs thatinclude software licensed under the GPL and LGPL (including the Linux kernel,FFmpeg, systemd, and others).VIZIO didn't provide the source code along with the device, and on request theyonly provided some of it. Unlike a typical lawsuit about enforcing the GPL, theSFC isn't suing as a copyright holder; it's suing asa normal owner of the TVin question. This approach opens some important legal questions, and after yearsof pre-trial maneuvering (most recently resulting ina ruling related to signing keys thatis the subject of a separate article),we might finally obtain some answers when the case goesto trial on January12. As things stand, it seems likely that the judge inthe case will rule that that the GPL-enforcement lawsuits can be a matter ofcontract law, not just copyright law, which would be a major change to how GPLenforcement works.