[Ffmpeg-devel] moving non-SIMD parts of libswscale to LGPL

[Michel Bardiaux]

Reimar D?ffinger wrote:
> Hello,
> On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 12:35:42PM +0100, Michel Bardiaux wrote:
>> Diego Biurrun wrote:
>>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 11:39:19AM +0100, Michel Bardiaux wrote:
>>>> What are the plans for the SIMD parts?
>>> Leave them as GPL.
>> From the first day there was talk of swscale, I was afraid it would end 
>> like this. With the removal of img_resample and that licensing, the LGPL 
>> version becomes a second-class implementation.
> 
> It does not change the current situation at all, so I don't see a reason
> to be much annoyed over it.

Only if the pure-C swscale is faster than img_resample with the MMX 
optimisations.

> 
>> There is not much I can do, but I dont have to like it.
> 
> There is a lot you can do, like writing LGPL SIMD or trying to convince
> the authors to allow relicensing as LGPL. 

Difficult to do both: to contact the authors, one has to dig in the 
sources, but to rewrite a LGPL version of the SIMD code, better keep a 
'clean room' approach. But the latter is likely to be impossible, so 
there is no solution.

> But yes, the LPGL version
> lacks quite some features, when there is the decision between getting a
> feature under the GPL or not at all, I have no problem at all with the
> former. Those who have should speak up in time, 

The agenda was not stated that clearly. Yes, with hindsight, its clear, 
but it wasnt at the time.

> and towards the
> authors, you can't expect others to argue for something that is not
> their goal...

If someone's goal is to force a mutation of the license to GPL, that is 
not acceptable.

> And just to state my opinion: decoders and demuxers by all means should
> be LGPL'd, everything else I wouldn't mind if it was GPL-only.

I would. The moral contract for ffmpeg is LGPL, and should remain so.

Greetings,
-- 
Michel Bardiaux
R&D Director
T +32 [0] 2 790 29 41
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