[FFmpeg-devel] Fw: ffmpeg GPL violation

[Ramiro Polla]

On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 1:01 AM, Gianluigi Tiesi <mplayer at netfarm.it> wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 09:59:58AM +0200, Diego Biurrun wrote:
>> On Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 02:07:06AM +0200, Gianluigi Tiesi wrote:
>> > On Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 12:17:00AM +0200, Diego Biurrun wrote:
>> > > On Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 08:06:26PM +0000, Jethro Walters wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > Just passing through the "Hall Of Shame" on ffmpeg's website, and
>> > > > found Voltaic's website, and this little snippet on this page:
>> > > > http://shedworx.com/volmac-legal
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > "VoltaicHD for Mac is copyright Systemic Pty Ltd.
>> > > >
>> > > > VoltaicHD for Mac utilises the FFmpeg video application for one
>> > > > part of the conversion process. FFmpeg is used in 'binary' form and
>> > > > the source code of ffmpeg will be provided with the next release of
>> > > > VoltaicHD for Mac.
>> > > >
>> > > > FFmpeg is a trademark of Fabrice Bellard, originator of the FFmpeg project.
>> > > >
>> > > > FFmpeg is licensed under the LGPL."
>> > > >
>> > > > So, should this stay in the Hall of Shame?
>> > >
>> > > It will definitely stay in the Hall of Shame, they are not in compliance
>> > > with the license at all!
>> > >
>> > > A promise to provide the source some day is not sufficient.
>> >
>> > they don't need to provide sources if the binary is built from
>> > unmodified ffmpeg source, the point is understand if their binary
>> > is modified or not
>>
>> You distribute MPlayer (and thus FFmpeg) yourself, you should really
>> know better.  It's disheatening to see how few people seem to have
>> actually read the (L)GPL.  Now please go back and read it, thanks.
>>
>
> If the source is unmodified a link should be enough, please
> don't tell me that I need to put online svn exports on
> each binary release :)

You need to put online svn exports on each binary release :)

And what if mplayerhq goes down? How does the user get the code to
your binaries?

>From the LGPL:

-----
4. You may copy and distribute the Library (or a portion or derivative
of it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the
terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you accompany it with
the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be
distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
customarily used for software interchange.

If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy from
a designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source
code from the same place satisfies the requirement to distribute the
source code, even though third parties are not compelled to copy the
source along with the object code.
-----

I only quoted a part, but follow Diego's suggestion: read the entire
license. It's not long, nor hard to read either. The text is pretty
straight-forward. Print out a copy, read over it a couple of times...

An svn export && tar cfvj is not hard... (and maybe we could bring
back the make tar command to ease that too).

Ramiro Polla