[XviD-devel] xvid license

[Marco Al]

From: "Christoph Lampert" <chl at math.uni-bonn.de>

> So: If you created a single source tree with GStreamer and XVID, I would
> say, it would be you who violated the license. I know that there are
> projects where LGPLed and GPLed code parts are present, but strictly
> speaking, I think that's not allowed (unless the whole is decleared GPL).

All LGPL software is also GPL software, so that is not a problem.

In the proposed example from Christian there would be a license violation
and Red Hat would be to blame. If during runtime XviD can be dynamically
linked to a non GPL program it doesnt really matter the amount of
indirection is in between ... they simply can not be distributed together.
It is not like the indirection is really hard to follow either. The huge
amount of words in this discussion hides a very simple issue.

The distribution of GPLd software with non GPL software which can link to it
is not allowed ... it is that simple, and whatever the GStreamer team and
Richard Stallman say I still think it is as easy to determine when this rule
applies in practice than to determine compliance with GPL in general. The
only people more affected than usual are those publishing large software
aggregations (such as Red Hat) and they should simply know what they are
doing ...

The complex GPL software verification mechanism is worse than useless IMO,
what business do runtime mechanisms have trying to police distribution time
infringement? (The only time infringement can occur after all.)

Marco