[FFmpeg-devel] Possible license violation: VIDEO CONVERT MASTER

[Michel Bardiaux]

Diego Biurrun wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 05:55:21PM +0200, Michel Bardiaux wrote:
>> The installer does not indicate any license. The HELP ABOUT threatens 
>> criminal penalties for unauthorized reproduction.
>>
>> On the website http://www.video-convert-master.com/index.htm I did not 
>> find any credit to ffmpeg, nor any mention of LGPL or GPL at all, nor, 
>> needless to say, any hint of the modified sources.
>>
>> After installation there is avcodec-51.dll, which in itself is enough to 
>> make the distribution, at least of the ffmpeg parts, LGPL; and 
>> xvidcore.dll, referenced by avcodec-51.dll, which is enough to make it 
>> GPL. There is an avcore.dll which seems to be based on ffmpeg.c
>>
>> I did not fully analyze the organization of the thing, but there does 
>> not seem to be an exe that references that avcore.dll, so I guess they 
>> use it by GetProcAddress, which some people consider a gray area for the 
>> enforcement of (L)GPL *but* only if an independent library with the same 
>> ABI exists, not the case here.
>>
>> Could someone verify my findings, especially the non-findings?
> 
> Please add this to the tracker and to the Hall of Shame.
> 
Not before an independent verification (I made several wrong calls in 
the past!)

-- 
Michel Bardiaux
R&D Director
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