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

[Benoit Fouet]

Hi,

Michel Bardiaux wrote:
> 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!)
>
>   

I have the same remarks as you, Michel. That is: I didn't find any
credits file (neither on the website, nor while installing/using the
software), and it is quite clear it uses libav*

-- 

Benoit Fouet