[FFmpeg-devel] [EXT] Re: Query from Reuters on XZ, open source, and Microsoft

[Tomas Härdin]

ons 2024-04-03 klockan 19:26 +0000 skrev Satter, Raphael (Reuters) via
ffmpeg-devel:
>   *   What’s the solution here? Your talk mentioned paying
> developers, getting an SLA, or hiring them as consultants … but why
> would companies bother when they can just free ride? I asked the same
> question to CISA’s Jack Cable when he told me that  companies need to
> “contribute back and help build the sustainable open source ecosystem
> that we get so much value from.” Sure, they “need” to do it, but who
> will punish them if they don’t?

We could always start licensing the project under a less permissive
license like the GPL or the AGPL and then charge for exceptions. This
tactic goes by the name of license trolling, and was successfully used
by FFmbc for a while.

We also don't need to support every use case. I've been making the case
that we should be far more restrictive with what kind of input we
allow, especially for formats mainly used by professionals such as MXF.
Every feature carries with it a maintenance burden.

/Tomas