[FFmpeg-devel] Searching for a ffmpeg BCLO (bastard chief legal officer)

[Víctor Paesa]

Hi,

Chris Ribe said:
> On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 12:02 PM, Chris Ribe <chrisribe at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> >
>> > OK, so why don't we give this a try?  A good first target seems to
>> be VEMoDe, which claims to be GPLed, but provides no source:
>> >
>> > http://vemode.coreforge.org/
>> >
>> > You should create an account for yourself in our issue tracker, we
>> list license violations there, this one is issue 370:
>> >
>> > https://roundup.mplayerhq.hu/roundup/ffmpeg/issue370
>> >
>>
>>
>> Alright, I'll check it out and compose something appropriate.
>>
>
>  I've drafted a letter to send to the author of VEMoDe.  Since it is my
> first correspondence on behalf of ffmpeg,  I figured I would run it by
> this list before sending it, in case there are any objections to the
> content. Note that I refer exclusively to the GPL instead of the LGPL,
> as the ffmpeg.exe being distributed was compiled with the --enable-gpl
> flag.
>
>
> Mr. Fuentes,
>>      I recently downloaded your software, VEMoDe, from the link on its
>> webpage at http://vemode.coreforge.org/.  The downloads available on
>> the site include binary versions of FFmpeg, and I am contacting you on
>> behalf of the FFmpeg copyright holders.
>>      Unfortunately, your redistribution does not meet the requirements
>> set
>> forth by the GPL, and you must meet those requirements if you wish to
>> continue distributing copies of FFmpeg.
>>      Specifically,  the source code of the project is not included
>> with
>> the download and no offer to provide the source code accompanies the
>> software.  I imagine this is merely an oversight on your part, as your
>> README states that your software is distributed under the GPL and a
>> copy of the GPL itself is included.  Nevertheless, this must be
>> corrected.
>>      I was able to find some of the source code for your project on
>> the
>> CORECODEC site (at
>> http://coreforge.org/frs/download.php/28/vemode12b_src.zip ),  but
>> please be aware that providing the contents of that zip file alone
>> would not satisfy the requirements of the GPL.  While it contains most
>> of the FFmpeg source, it does not contain everything needed to build
>> FFmpeg from source. The GPL states, "For an executable work, complete
>> source code means all the source code for all modules it contains,
>> plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used
>> to control compilation and installation of the executable."
>> Furthermore, the source .zip file does not contain the source of the
>> various other executable files included in your distribution.
>>      In light of these problems, we request that you either bring your
>> software distribution into compliance with the GPL  or cease
>> distributing copies of FFmpeg immediately.   Given your apparent
>> desire to distribute your software under the GPL, I am optimistic that
>> we can work this out to everyone's satisfaction.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Chris Ribe
>>
>
>
>  If there are no objections to this letter, I will go ahead an send it.

Mr. Fuentes' web is written in nice English, and hence he will understand
your letter, but his Spanish name makes me suggest to leverage the
multicultural FFmpeg community, and send also a translation (in offender's
native language) if our BCLO has the feeling that the offender has limited
English skills.

I volunteer for the Spanish translations and/or been in copy to try to
avoid any (cultural) misunderstandings.

Regards,
V?ctor