Licensing Advice?

[rookworm3]

Hi!

I am considering making a simple shareware utility for getting video onto portable players easily. I was wondering whether it is possible to somehow use GPL programs for some of the functionality. I know that projects like Ghostview interface with GPL sofware, but I'm not exactly sure what is permitted, and what is not. I am thinking specifically of using libdvdcss (or equivalent) and x264.

Is it okay to distribute those programs unaltered (the original supplied binaries, the source and copying.txt) along with my non-free app? What means of interfacing are allowed (I assume it would be okay to have them communicate through standard input/output, but are other means allowed)?

Anyway, I'm just cutting my teeth as a developer, so go easy on me (technically). I also don't want to piss of the developers of the programs I want to interface with, so if you're reading this, please comment.


Thanks, all.

[Joe Fenton]

If you statically link to a GPL/LGPL lib, your project must be GPL. If you dynamically link to an LGPL lib, it doesn't affect the license of your app. That is why nearly all system libraries in linux are LGPL.

Even if your program is GPL in the end, you can still sell it. You just have to provide source as the GPL states. Some people will be cheap and build it themselves, but others won't want the bother and just buy it.

If you go with dynamically linked LGPL libs, they can be bundled with your app as long as you keep the archives (or however they're provided) intact and have all the proper license files included.

Note, libdvdcss cannot be distributed in countries like the US. You'd have to point your customers to a site outside the US where they can obtain it on their own. Germany just put in place their own DMCA law like the US's, so you cannot distribute it in Germany either. That's why the SUSE repo maintainer Packman no longer has libdvdcss on his repo.

[CyberShaman]

I'm wondering the same thing. I would like to bundle ffdshow with one program which is closed source. As ffdshow is GPL'ed is it possible in anyway? Can i ship it with my program. What about if i load it straight to filtergraph without ever registering it (no regsvr32).

Unfortunatelly this program can't be opensource so...

*edited*

I found this at xvid.org.


-I plan to use XviD in my own program and I'm going to modify it. Do I have to distribute my program as "open source" then?

Yes, XviD is released under the GNU GPL license which requires that all derived work from XviD also has to be distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL. A derived work, as defined in the GNU GPL, is a software that links (statically or dynamically) against XviD or includes XviD.

So how can Xvid even be used in Windows? :confused:

[charleski]

If you simply bundle an ffdshow build along with your program while including the relevant licence, source, etc, I think you'd be alright, surely? This would be different to actually using the GPL xvid code inside your own program.

[CyberShaman]

If you simply bundle an ffdshow build along with your program while including the relevant licence, source, etc, I think you'd be alright, surely? This would be different to actually using the GPL xvid code inside your own program.
Thank's for your reply. That's what i'm thinking to do. Ffdshow is in folder "Filters", of course the user can copy ffdshow/xvid or any other filter to that folder.

What about the registering part? If i bundle some filters with my program i certanly don't wan't to register them to users system. I hate registry. :D
I'm using this type of code (delphi) to use unregistered filters in filtergraph:
LibHandle:= LoadLibrary('xvid.ax');
DllGetClassObject:= GetProcAddress(LibHandle, 'DllGetClassObject');
DllGetClassObject(CLSID_XVID, IClassFactory, ClassF);
ClassF.CreateInstance(nil, IID_IBaseFilter, base);

FilterGraph.AddFilter(base, 'Xvid Decoder')

[Joe Fenton]

I'm wondering the same thing. I would like to bundle ffdshow with one program which is closed source. As ffdshow is GPL'ed is it possible in anyway? Can i ship it with my program. What about if i load it straight to filtergraph without ever registering it (no regsvr32).

Unfortunatelly this program can't be opensource so...

*edited*

I found this at xvid.org.



So how can Xvid even be used in Windows? :confused:

The problem is someone using xvid inside their code, not xvid using Windows libraries. Like I said about linux, OSes (normally) make system libraries with a license that allows closed-source programs to use them (otherwise the OS would be virtually useless). Windows is no exception.

XviD itself is GPL (not LGPL), so if you use xvid in your project, it must also be GPL. This would not be the case if your project merely constructed a command line, then ordered the OS to launch xine with your command line. Such a program could be closed source. It's using libxine that obligates you.

If I remember correctly, most of ffmpeg is LGPL, so if you loaded it dynamically, you could use ffmpeg with your closed-source project. Just be careful about any codecs inside ffmpeg which are GPL. You'd have to build ffmpeg without those.

[Johnny_Deep_Down_Below]

If you statically link to a GPL/LGPL lib, your project must be GPL.

Come on, who cares about the GPL-shit? I use sources from GPL-stuff in my projects, too, I just don't mention it and there is no problem :)
Even if someone would find out - what would happen then? Would the "GPL-cops" hunt me? Ridiculous!

[CyberShaman]

Come on, who cares about the GPL-shit? I use sources from GPL-stuff in my projects, too, I just don't mention it and there is no problem :)
Even if someone would find out - what would happen then? Would the "GPL-cops" hunt me? Ridiculous!

For me it's a case of respecting fellow coders and their work.

[int 21h]

Come on, who cares about the GPL-shit? I use sources from GPL-stuff in my projects, too, I just don't mention it and there is no problem :)
Even if someone would find out - what would happen then? Would the "GPL-cops" hunt me? Ridiculous!

The author could hold you liable for legal damages.

Glancing (http://forum.doom9.org/search.php?do=finduser&u=28483) through your previous posts though, this appears to be like all the others. Pay no attention to the troll behind the curtain.

[Johnny_Deep_Down_Below]

For me it's a case of respecting fellow coders and their work.

Hey, nobody forced them to release their sources, so what?

If I don't want anyone to do anything with my work, then I just don't enable such actions (by simply not publishing my source).

They have chosen to release the sources so they have to live with the consequences.


BTW: Most of you don't even respect real laws (copyright laws) - just think of CCE SP, Sonic Scenarist - so why should you respect some ridiculous, nasty document called "gpl"???