[Ffmpeg-devel] moving non-SIMD parts of libswscale to LGPL

Michel Bardiaux mbardiaux
Wed Nov 15 11:54:14 CET 2006


Diego Biurrun wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 03:59:52PM +0100, Michel Bardiaux wrote:
>> Reimar D?ffinger wrote:
>>> But yes, the LPGL version
>>> lacks quite some features, when there is the decision between getting a
>>> feature under the GPL or not at all, I have no problem at all with the
>>> former. Those who have should speak up in time, 
>> The agenda was not stated that clearly. Yes, with hindsight, its clear, 
>> but it wasnt at the time.
> 
> Michael said that he was only going to relicense the non-SIMD parts from
> day one...

IIRC it was said that the non-SIMD parts woule be relicensed first, but 
it was far from obvious that the SIMD parts would be deliberately left GPL.

> 
>>> and towards the authors, you can't expect others to argue for
>>> something that is not their goal...
>> If someone's goal is to force a mutation of the license to GPL, that is 
>> not acceptable.
> 
> Acceptable by whom exactly?

What would the decision process be? Michael only? Committers only? 
Contributors only? Unanimity, majority?

> 
>>> And just to state my opinion: decoders and demuxers by all means should
>>> be LGPL'd, everything else I wouldn't mind if it was GPL-only.
>> I would. The moral contract for ffmpeg is LGPL, and should remain so.
> 
> This "moral contract" is something you have just made up out of thin
> air.  

You dont make up a moral contract, there is always one, even if 
implicit. Eg it is implicit that you cant pick a patch submitted by 
someone else and claim it as your own. But if some consider there is no 
moral contract after all, then there should be a formal process to 
establish a charter.

> The authors of the code are free to decide the licensing without
> any regard to whether the outcome pleases you or not.

Authorship being attributed how?

> 
> Diego


-- 
Michel Bardiaux
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