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sm-commit - Re: [SM-Commit] GIT changes to master grimoire by Ladislav Hagara (0796c9d47ec7c68a0cb796ec0ddff24908eab86f)

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  • From: flux <flux AT sourcemage.org>
  • To: sm-commit <sm-commit AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [SM-Commit] GIT changes to master grimoire by Ladislav Hagara (0796c9d47ec7c68a0cb796ec0ddff24908eab86f)
  • Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:58:34 +0900

Arwed von Merkatz (v.merkatz AT gmx.net) wrote [10.03.26 01:47]:
> > From http://www.audiocoding.com/faac.html :
> > FAAC is based on the original ISO MPEG reference code. The changes to
> > this code are licensed under the LGPL license. The original license is
> > not compatible with the LGPL, please be aware of this when using FAAC.
> > The original license text can be found in the README file included in
> > the download package.
>
> Sounds like it has to go to z-rejected. If the original license is not
> compatible with the LGPL, the whole thing doesn't have a valid license as
> far
> as I can tell.

Not being compatible with the LGPL doesn't mean it isn't an entirely
different open source license. Let's find out what it actually is first
before deciding where it should go.

From http://faac.sourceforge.net/oldsite/download.php :
<quote>
FAAC and FAAD are based on the ISO MPEG-4 reference code. For this base
code the following license applies:

**********************************************************************
This software module was originally developed by

FirstName LastName (CompanyName)

and edited by

FirstName LastName (CompanyName)
FirstName LastName (CompanyName)

in the course of development of the MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio standard
ISO/IEC 13818-7, 14496-1,2 and 3. This software module is an
implementation of a part of one or more MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio tools as
specified by the MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio standard. ISO/IEC gives users
of the MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio standards free license to this software
module or modifications thereof for use in hardware or software products
claiming conformance to the MPEG-2 NBC/ MPEG-4 Audio standards. Those
intending to use this software module in hardware or software products
are advised that this use may infringe existing patents. The original
developer of this software module and his/her company, the subsequent
editors and their companies, and ISO/IEC have no liability for use of
this software module or modifications thereof in an implementation.
Copyright is not released for non MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio conforming
products. The original developer retains full right to use the code for
his/her own purpose, assign or donate the code to a third party and to
inhibit third party from using the code for non MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio
conforming products. This copyright notice must be included in all
copies or derivative works.

Copyright (c) 1997.
**********************************************************************

For the changes made for the FAAC project the GNU Library General Public
License (LGPL), version 2 1991 applies.
</quote>

That looks open source to me (with respect to the actual code), but
non-open with respect to limitations. However, even the GPL limits what
can be done with the code, so limitations on what it can be used for
don't automatically translate to not being open source.

Now that we actually have the license text, anyone want to analyze it or
check it with the OSI?

--
Justin "flux_control" Boffemmyer
Cauldron wizard and general mage
Source Mage GNU/Linux
http://www.sourcemage.org

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