Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

VMware

2025-09-03T05:43:04Z

2A02:810D:548D:E500:B0D6:79D9:AB6D:6BDC: /* Alternatives */ Formatting

{{Stub}}
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Subsidiary
| Founded =1998
| Industry =Virtualization Software
| Official Website =https://www.vmware.com
| Logo =Vmware.svg
}}
'''[[wikipedia:VMWare|VMware]]''' is a major player in the enterprise virtualization software market. The brand has been a subsidiary of [[Broadcom Inc.|Broadcom]] since November 2023.

Since the Broadcom takeover, licensing and business model changes bordering on extortion, price increases, litigations against corporate users such as Siemens, deliberately ending support for [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/ perpetual license] products, have left many customers facing skyrocketing virtualization costs.

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User freedom
* User privacy
* Business model
* Market control}}

In 2024, Broadcom removed the ability to extend support for perpetual licensing, and required that customers switch to subscription licensing. The product you bought can no longer be updated, to receive updates you must throw away your perpetual licensing and buy new subscription licenses. AT&T claimed an annual cost increase of 1050%.<ref>https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/01/att_broadcom_filings_update/</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Cease and Desist Letters/Notifications===
An incident of a customer receiving a cease and desist letter from Broadcom, regarding perpetual licensing and other services offered.
[[File:Undefined - Imgur.png|thumb]]
==Products==
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the company's product lines '''with articles on this wiki'''.
* [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product line two]] (release date):}}

==See also==
[[Broadcom Inc.]]

==Alternatives==
Alternatives include the popular free and open source project [https://www.proxmox.com/ Proxmox], which has a less polished user interface but is otherwise functionally very close and is backed by an Austria-based company that offers subscription-based support plans for corporate users.

Linux virtualization (e.g. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization) is available with corporate levels of support. The VMware hypervisor shell is based on Red Hat. Nutanix offers comparable efficiency to VMware.

==References==
{{reflist}}https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1jzqbte/vmware_threatening_perpetual_license_holders_than/

https://imgur.com/FbrdQya
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Virtualization software]]

VMware

2025-09-03T05:42:26Z

2A02:810D:548D:E500:B0D6:79D9:AB6D:6BDC: /* Alternatives */ Mention existence of corporate support options for Proxmox

{{Stub}}
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Subsidiary
| Founded =1998
| Industry =Virtualization Software
| Official Website =https://www.vmware.com
| Logo =Vmware.svg
}}
'''[[wikipedia:VMWare|VMware]]''' is a major player in the enterprise virtualization software market. The brand has been a subsidiary of [[Broadcom Inc.|Broadcom]] since November 2023.

Since the Broadcom takeover, licensing and business model changes bordering on extortion, price increases, litigations against corporate users such as Siemens, deliberately ending support for [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/ perpetual license] products, have left many customers facing skyrocketing virtualization costs.

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User freedom
* User privacy
* Business model
* Market control}}

In 2024, Broadcom removed the ability to extend support for perpetual licensing, and required that customers switch to subscription licensing. The product you bought can no longer be updated, to receive updates you must throw away your perpetual licensing and buy new subscription licenses. AT&T claimed an annual cost increase of 1050%.<ref>https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/01/att_broadcom_filings_update/</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Cease and Desist Letters/Notifications===
An incident of a customer receiving a cease and desist letter from Broadcom, regarding perpetual licensing and other services offered.
[[File:Undefined - Imgur.png|thumb]]
==Products==
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the company's product lines '''with articles on this wiki'''.
* [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product line two]] (release date):}}

==See also==
[[Broadcom Inc.]]

==Alternatives==
Alternatives include the popular free and open source project[https://www.proxmox.com/ Proxmox], which has a less polished user interface but is otherwise functionally very close and is backed by an Austria-based company that offers subscription-based support plans for corporate users.

Linux virtualization (e.g. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization) is available with corporate levels of support. The VMware hypervisor shell is based on Red Hat. Nutanix offers comparable efficiency to VMware.

==References==
{{reflist}}https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1jzqbte/vmware_threatening_perpetual_license_holders_than/

https://imgur.com/FbrdQya
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Virtualization software]]

Xiaomi Phone unlock requirements and procedure

2025-09-03T05:35:11Z

2A02:810D:548D:E500:B0D6:79D9:AB6D:6BDC: Added a comment to review the information about the length of the unlock period

{{Incomplete}}


Most [[Xiaomi]] phones come with a bootloader that can be unlocked, but unlike the [https://source.android.com/docs/core/architecture/bootloader/locking_unlocking Android's default unlocking procedure], Xiaomi has the following requirements:<ref name=":0">[https://new.c.mi.com/global/post/101245 "Complete Guide to Unlocking the Bootloader: Announcement, Troubleshoot and Tips"] - new.c.mi.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref>

*The user must create and link a Xiaomi account to their phone
**This requires accepting the [https://static.account.xiaomi.com/html/agreement/user/global/en_US.html EULA] for creating an account
***Stated directly in the EULA is the following<ref>[https://static.account.xiaomi.com/html/agreement/user/global/en_US.html "Xiaomi Account User Agreement"] - static.account.xiaomi.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref><blockquote>6. Modification of this Agreement Xiaomi may need to revise this Agreement and various rules from time to time in accordance with the promulgation of laws and regulations, the development of the Internet, and the adjustment of the company's operating conditions and business strategies. We will notify you of the new agreement in an appropriate manner, and you may view the latest version of the terms of the agreement on the relevant service page. **Once the revised agreement and rules are announced, they will take effect immediately and become an integral part of this Agreement. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you shall immediately discontinue your use of our services.** Your continued access or use of our services shall be deemed as your acceptance of the modified agreement.</blockquote>
*The user must use the [https://en.miui.com/unlock/download_en.html official Mi Unlock app] (only available for [[Windows]])
*For certain devices, Xiaomi requires users to attempt an unlock and wait a week before attempting again<ref name=":0" /> <blockquote>Click on Unlock » Unlock anyway. On your first attempt, Mi Unlock will flash the message _Couldn’t unlock. Please unlock 168 hours later._ Follow the timer / waiting period to unlock successfully.</blockquote>
*Effective January 2025, Xiaomi has updated its bootloader unlocking policy to make it difficult for users to unlock the bootloaders on their devices. The updates include but are not limited to:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bardakçı |first=Emir |date=2024-12-30 |title=Xiaomi global bootloader unlock policy has changed |url=https://xiaomitime.com/xiaomi-global-bootloader-unlock-policy-has-changed-20295/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610163620/https://xiaomitime.com/xiaomi-updates-the-rules-about-bootloader-unlocking-on-hyperos-20175/ |archive-date=2025-06-10 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=XiaomiTime}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bardakçı |first=Emir |date=2024-12-26 |title=Xiaomi updates the rules about Bootloader Unlocking on HyperOS |url=https://xiaomitime.com/xiaomi-updates-the-rules-about-bootloader-unlocking-on-hyperos-20175/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610163620/https://xiaomitime.com/xiaomi-updates-the-rules-about-bootloader-unlocking-on-hyperos-20175/ |archive-date=2025-06-10 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=XiaomiTime}}</ref>
**Limiting users to only one device bootloader unlock per year, down from three
**Bootloaders need to be re-locked for MIUI users to update to HyperOS
**Only 2000 devices per day can be unlocked across the world<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-01 |title=New bootloader unlocking procedure on HyperOS |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/comments/1ag4fsh/new_bootloader_unlocking_procedure_on_hyperos/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Reddit}}</ref>, makes unlocking impossible without automation

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Xiaomi]]

Entities refusing to distribute copyleft licensed software under license terms

2025-09-03T05:24:17Z

2A02:810D:548D:E500:B0D6:79D9:AB6D:6BDC: /* Linux Kernel */ Added AVM lawsuit to list

{{StubNotice}}

TODO: Please rename the title of this article to something like "Entities refusing to distribute copyleft licensed software". I do not have that permission (or I can't find how I can do it myself). Once done, please remove this TODO paragraph.

Many open source licenses require entities to distribute their modyfied version of copyleft source code to customers that have bought their products and request for it. However, this practice is rarely enforced and some companies actively refuse to distribute source code in flagrant violation of the law.

TODO: Explain issue of "code bombs" including the Apple WebKit/KHTML situation

==Licenses==

===Permissive Licenses===
Permissive licensed software do not require distribution of source code. This means that if a company is using a permissive license, you can not request for their source code. Examples include:

*MIT
*BSD
*TODO (Add more)

===Copyleft Licenses===
Copyleft licenses give you the freedom to ask an entity for the source code. It does not matter if it is from the original vendor or from a distributor. Examples of such licenses include:

*GPL 2/3
*MPL
*TODO (Add more)

==Enforcers==
The [https://sfconservancy.org/ Software Freedom Conservancy] is a non profit organization in order to combat this issue. However, in practice, they usually have long lead times and encourage the user to file a suit instead.

==Bad Examples==

===Linux Kernel===
Refusing kernel source code is bad since customers don't get custom ROMs like LineageOS or Linux distributions like postmarketOS.

====Alarm.com====
Alarm.com is a SAAS company. They collaborate with multiple hardware vendors to get their security software running on their devices, which primarily run Android. In relation to Qolsys's experience, they actively refused to provide the Linux kernel source code. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

==== AVM ====
AVM is a German company that produces routers and smart home devices. While they disclosed their modified Linux Kernel source code, key build scripts were missing. It was only after they were sued by a software developer that they released them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faust |first=Mike |date=2025-01-11 |title=Auch Skripte für Kompilierung gehören zum Quellcode [Scripts for compilation are part of source code as well] |url=https://www.golem.de/news/klage-gegen-avm-auch-skripte-fuer-kompilierung-gehoeren-zum-quellcode-2501-192338.html |access-date=2025-09-03 |website=Golem}}</ref> 

====Cricket====
Cricket is a mobile network carrier that also sells Android phones. As they are a distributor of Android phones, which run Linux, they are required by law to distribute the source code to customers who ask for it. However, in practice, customers are actively turned away by customer support. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

====Qolsys====
Most of Qolsys's products run Android, however when asking customer support for the source code for the IQP4, they actively refused to provide it. When pressed they will ignore you. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

====Xiaomi====
[[Xiaomi]]'s devices are running Android, which is built on top of the [https://kernel.org Linux kernel]. The Linux kernel is licensed under the [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html GPLv2],<ref>[https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/COPYING "Linux Copying Terms"] - github.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> which requires the source code of derivative works to be made available.<ref>[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html "GNU GPL Clause 3a"] - gnu.org - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> Xiaomi does release the kernel sources for many of their devices in their [https://github.com/MiCode/Xiaomi_Kernel_OpenSource GitHub repository], but not for all.

The kernel sources for some Xiaomi devices are unavailable, they include:

*Redmi Note 13 4G/NFC
*Redmi 13C 4G
*Poco M5
*TODO: add more items

This, along with [[Xiaomi Phone unlock requirements and procedure]] prevents custom ROMs from being made for these devices.

==Good Examples==

===Google===
https://source.android.com/opensourcerequest

===Samsung===
https://opensource.samsung.com/uploadList?menuItem=mobile

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Xiaomi]]

Entities refusing to distribute copyleft licensed software under license terms

2025-09-03T05:17:49Z

2A02:810D:548D:E500:B0D6:79D9:AB6D:6BDC: Clearer phrasing and add one TODO

{{StubNotice}}

TODO: Please rename the title of this article to something like "Entities refusing to distribute copyleft licensed software". I do not have that permission (or I can't find how I can do it myself). Once done, please remove this TODO paragraph.

Many open source licenses require entities to distribute their modyfied version of copyleft source code to customers that have bought their products and request for it. However, this practice is rarely enforced and some companies actively refuse to distribute source code in flagrant violation of the law.

TODO: Explain issue of "code bombs" including the Apple WebKit/KHTML situation

==Licenses==

===Permissive Licenses===
Permissive licensed software do not require distribution of source code. This means that if a company is using a permissive license, you can not request for their source code. Examples include:

*MIT
*BSD
*TODO (Add more)

===Copyleft Licenses===
Copyleft licenses give you the freedom to ask an entity for the source code. It does not matter if it is from the original vendor or from a distributor. Examples of such licenses include:

*GPL 2/3
*MPL
*TODO (Add more)

==Enforcers==
The [https://sfconservancy.org/ Software Freedom Conservancy] is a non profit organization in order to combat this issue. However, in practice, they usually have long lead times and encourage the user to file a suit instead.

==Bad Examples==

===Linux Kernel===
Refusing kernel source code is bad since customers don't get custom ROMs like LineageOS or Linux distributions like postmarketOS.

====Alarm.com====
Alarm.com is a SAAS company. They collaborate with multiple hardware vendors to get their security software running on their devices, which primarily run Android. In relation to Qolsys's experience, they actively refused to provide the Linux kernel source code. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

====Cricket====
Cricket is a mobile network carrier that also sells Android phones. As they are a distributor of Android phones, which run Linux, they are required by law to distribute the source code to customers who ask for it. However, in practice, customers are actively turned away by customer support. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

====Qolsys====
Most of Qolsys's products run Android, however when asking customer support for the source code for the IQP4, they actively refused to provide it. When pressed they will ignore you. They also do not have a webpage showcasing where to download source code.

====Xiaomi====
[[Xiaomi]]'s devices are running Android, which is built on top of the [https://kernel.org Linux kernel]. The Linux kernel is licensed under the [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html GPLv2],<ref>[https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/COPYING "Linux Copying Terms"] - github.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> which requires the source code of derivative works to be made available.<ref>[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html "GNU GPL Clause 3a"] - gnu.org - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> Xiaomi does release the kernel sources for many of their devices in their [https://github.com/MiCode/Xiaomi_Kernel_OpenSource GitHub repository], but not for all.

The kernel sources for some Xiaomi devices are unavailable, they include:

*Redmi Note 13 4G/NFC
*Redmi 13C 4G
*Poco M5
*TODO: add more items

This, along with [[Xiaomi Phone unlock requirements and procedure]] prevents custom ROMs from being made for these devices.

==Good Examples==

===Google===
https://source.android.com/opensourcerequest

===Samsung===
https://opensource.samsung.com/uploadList?menuItem=mobile

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Xiaomi]]