[chbot] Heard about the FTDI caper?

[Charles Manning]

I cannot see how either MS or FTDI are to blame or can be seen to be
illegal.

That driver works fine with a legitimate product.

Someone has chosen to build a product which pretends to be an FTDI chip,
but is not. They're not paying for all FTDI's software engineering etc (as
good or rubbish as they might be). They're just trying to mimic the FTDI to
encourage people to use software in a way that does not conform to the
licensing policy.

USB.org issues VIDs specifically so that software can identify the product
it is working with. If you produce a product that hi-jacks some elses VID
and that driver does not work, or even breaks, your device then it is YOUR
fault.


On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 3:16 PM, Mark Beckett <m.beckett at amuri.net> wrote:

> I've been getting emails from my overseas contacts for the few days.
>
> This is some other info regarding what was a deliberate and possibly
> illegal move by FTDI.
> http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-
> fake-ftdi-ft232/msg535270/#msg535270
>
>    I did find this one which shows the internals of both genuine and
>    non-genuine which is interesting.
>    http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/FTDI-FT232RL-real-vs-fake-supereal
>            My view is FTDI have overstepped the mark by making them non
>    functional, regardless of the copyright/you're using our driver.
>    The end-user probably has no idea of what is inside the device they
>    just brought.
>        FTDI should have detected the device as not genuine and refused to
>    load the driver for it.
>    The customer would then have returned the product to the supplier,
>    and the corrective action could then take place.
>        This 'fix' has probably signed the end for FTDI, given that other
>    products that are available, and that their product is not cheap to
>    start with.
>    MS are equally to blame since they have deployed a driver that
>    knowing renders devices useless that were working and are not theirs
>    to mess with.
>    By changing the device, it no longer works on other OS's, which is
>    well beyond their software agreements no matter how you read their EULA.
>    Hopefully someone decides to sue them, maybe someone who already
>    dislikes them and has big pockets ....
>        In a twist of irony, it seems the FTDI software (FT_prog) will
>    happily talk to the non-genuine device to write the VID/PID, and I
>    have a copy of the older version if anyone gets trapped.
>
> While Volker may think he's quite safe using Linux, the issue is if the
> device was connected to a windows box with the new drivers, it won't work
> on his linux box now, since the PID has been set to zero.
>
> I have some sympathy for FTDI, but using Microsoft to deliberately reset
> the PID has gone too far, it should have simply refused to talk to the
> device.
> And if you read some of the various blogs, it was FTDI that pulled it,
> most likely because of the backlash/fallout that was coming.
>
> It shouldn't affect any Arduino UNO or true clone as they use an Atmel 8U2
> or 16U2 to interface to the USB.
> Since there are some who suggest not to use 'cheap chinese knock-offs'
> they won't have to worry either.... :-)
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> Mark Atherton wrote:
>
>> Another gem from Julian.
>>
>> ... and there could be quite some fallout with the Arduino community.
>>
>> I am still dwelling on the consequences of FTDI's actions.
>>
>> -mark
>>
>>
>>
>>  Subject: Heard about the FTDI caper?
>>> To: Mark Atherton <markaren1 at xtra.co.nz>
>>>
>>> <http://brainwagon.org/2014/10/24/ftdi-gate/?utm_source=
>>> feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+
>>> brainwagon+%28brainwagon%29>http://brainwagon.org/2014/10/
>>> 24/ftdi-gate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&
>>> utm_campaign=Feed%3A+brainwagon+%28brainwagon%29
>>>
>>> Hi Mark
>>>
>>> Just read about this...J
>>>
>>
>>
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