[XviD-devel] xvid license

Christian Fredrik Kalager Schaller Uraeus at linuxrising.org
Tue Apr 22 19:47:06 CEST 2003


Hi,
Well if you don't mind such usage why not make xvid LGPL? As for the GPL
allowing such usage, well not everyone agrees. We (gstreamer) had a long
talk with Richard Stallman and he was very clear that if GStreamer
allowed non-GPL apps to use GPL plugins we would be a vehicle for
rampant license violations. 

In reponse to this we added a license factory field to each of our
plugins and our long term plans include having applications activly
having to tell GStreamer that they are allowed to access GPL
applications. At that time any non-GPL compatible application would be
effectivly cut of from functionality offered by GPL plugins (like xvid
currently is)

Christian

On Tue, 2003-04-22 at 13:24, Christoph Lampert wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I don't think it would be possible to make everyone agree to this. Not
> because we don't like GStreamer, but because already including the linking
> exception in the last release was a "mistake". We thought it was necessary
> for users in order to use XVID with non-GPLed Windows applications like
> Adobe Premiere, but the truth is, it isn't. GPL just forbids distribution
> of such a combination, not usage. The next release of XVID (soon to come)
> will not contain any linking exception anymore. 
> 
> gruel 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 22 Apr 2003, Christian Fredrik Kalager Schaller wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I am with the GStreamer project (http://www.gstreamer.net) which is
> > creating a full featured multimedia framework for Linux and Unix
> > plattforms. We are just putting the finishing touches on an encoder
> > plugin using xvid. GStreamer is LGPL and due to that wish that as many
> > of our plugins as possible is available under terms that makes them
> > useable on the same terms as the LGPL sets. 
> > 
> > I looked at your license and see that you have a special exception for
> > VFW1.1 and DShow interfaces, and was wondering if we could get a similar
> > exception for applications that access xvid through GStreamer. If so we
> > would be very greatful. 
-- 
Christian Fredrik Kalager Schaller <Uraeus at linuxrising.org>



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