It seems Nanoleaf products like the Elements are build upon OpenWrt.
OpenWrt is licensed under GPL-2.0.
Despite multiple requests from the community to release the source code, this has not happened.
This conflicts with the requirements of the license and is therefore copyright infringement.
GPL clearly stipulates that you're allowed to use it for commercial products, if you return the favour and make your source code publicly available as well.
My guess for this one is that they used the QCA Software Development Kit (QSDK) - you can find it at the CodeLinaro project wiki - wiki-qsdk - using driver code for Ralink 5350 to build their firmware. My understanding is that purchasing the official QSDK carries an NDA. Since the code for the original kit is published as well as the Ralink driver code, they can get away with not release their own code as long as no modifications are made by the customer to any GPL code. I could be completely wrong…
For the Aurora series:
The U-boot bootloader shows:
Image Name: MIPS OpenWrt Linux-3.18.18
The linux boot shows:
Linux version 3.18.18 (eski@eski-VirtualBox) (gcc version 4.8.3 (OpenWrt/Linaroo GCC 4.8-2014.14 r46419))
SoC Type: Ralink RT5350 id:1 rev:3
You may recognize "eski" from posts here.
Why they are not forthcoming with this information at all is unknown.
This is a very old version of OpenWrt - which may be the reason behind many of the issues people have had with getting them working.
It's indeed a concern when companies fail to comply with open-source licenses, such as the GPL-2.0, which explicitly requires the release of the corresponding source code for products built upon it. Failure to adhere to these licensing terms is a violation of copyright and raises ethical and legal questions within the software community. In the realm of telematics and fleet tracking, transparency and adherence to licensing agreements are essential. Telematics solutions often rely on various software components, and it's crucial for companies to ensure compliance with the licenses associated with these components, including open-source software like OpenWrt. Addressing such concerns within the telematics and industry underscores the importance of ethical practices, not only in terms of software development but also in ensuring transparency and accountability in the broader technology landscape.
If you think there is a violation you could always report at license-violation@gnu.org and contact the copyright holder.