The Generator web site has a link to PGEN, thus indicating that the author of Generator is aware that PGEN exists. But oddly enough, there is no offer for the source code anyplace on the PGEN website. The ZIP files that provide PGEN provide neither a code of the GPL or an offer for the source code. So, by linking to the PGEN website an indication that authorization is now being provided to use Generator under non-GPL terms?
Would the fact that PGEN is made available with no GPL or source, and that it was sold to Datel to be included with their products, mean that Sjeep is involved in illegal activities?
Jumping to a conclusion, violating licensing would mean that both Datel and Sjeep are conducting a violation of Copyright law. However, a copyright owner (being the contributors to PGEN, Sjeep only owns what he wrote) can choose to re-license something multiple times under different licenses. It is theoritically possible that Datel or Sjeep made arrangements that allow for commerical redistribution in binary only format. But consider the following pieces that included in PGEN and reach your own conclusion about the likehood that the Datel product is legal:
Included work: Generator
License: GPL (commerical use permitted, must include offer to provide complette derivative source code)
Included work: TI SN76489 emulator
License: MAME (can not be used in commerical product without written authorization from author)
Included work: Yamaha FM YM2608 emulator
License: MAME (can not be used in commerical product without written authorization from author)
Included work: AmigaMod
License: Free for non-commerical, contact for commerical arrangement
Was arrangements made with each of these authors? Personally, I do not know the answer but I have a strong guess as to what the answer probably is.
Also, keep in mind that even if Datel was mislead, they still also have an obligation to each of the legit copyright holders,
The generator source code is used in PGEN under a special license, not GPL. Also, the MAME sound code is not used in PGEN - a different sound code is used, and the source core for this core did not have a specific license assigned at the time that I started to use it.
Doesn't really matter, as I intend to release the PGEN source code soon since I am now finished with the PGEN project.
WEll, seems that the source has been released, as promised. Here's my list of what's used.
James Ponder's Generrator cod,e used with permission.
Z80 core by Juergen Buchmueller, usable freely f rnon-commercial purposes, requires auth for commercial use.
Gen's code for sound emulation, partially drived form mame code. Apparently OK.
Amigamod.irx (mentioned above)
sjpcm.irx sound library, written by him.
and a bunch of irxes from the ps2dev community, all of which are kosher to use.
So the only unkowns are his z80 emu and the amigamod player, though I'm pretty sure the amigamod guys don't care about what he did.