[MPlayer-dev-eng] New customer: SCO / copyright infringement

[RC]

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:01:36 +0200
Carl Eugen Hoyos <cehoyos at ag.or.at> wrote:

> In short: SCO offers its UnixWare and SCO OpenServer customers mplayer
> binaries to download:
> http://www.sco.com/products/docs/MPlayer%20for%20UW714%20&%20OSR6-FINAL.pdf
> They include, says heise.de, wma9dmod.dll, wmadmod.dll, wmspdmod.dll,
> wmv9dmod.dll and wmvdmod.dll.

That's very interesting.

I've downloaded the package, and it doesn't just contain Microsoft DLLs,
but it seems ALL the (essential) DLLs...  wmv* vss* vp* divx* QuickTime,
Real, etc. 

I have to wonder if they've managed to secure licenses to all of
those...

If not, they're clearly breaking the law (patents), and are also in a
very grey area of copyright law by redistributing the DLLs without
permission.  If they have licensed them, then they must believe loading
closed-source, binary DLLs doesn't violate the GPL.