Re: The GPL and soundfonts

[Andrew Sidwell <takkaria@gmail.com>]

Michael Pobega wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 02, 2007 at 12:40:25PM +0100, Andrew Sidwell wrote:
>> If someone releases a song in MIDI form under the GPLv2, and I use
>> non-GPL'd tools (e.g. a shareware licence) and royalty-free instrumental
>> samples to produce a high-quality WAV version of the original MIDI, can
>> I legally release that under the GPLv2?
> 
>> The GPLv2, section 3, states:
>>   "However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need
>>    not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source
>>    or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so
>>    on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless
>>    that component itself accompanies the executable."
> 
>> I take it that audio production software is not a major component of the
>> operating system, and based on this, I can only assume that if one wants
>> to distribute high-quality versions of MIDI files which are under the
>> GPLv2, one is restricted to an entirely free toolchain.
> 
> 
> I believe that the MIDI files can be distributed under the GPL. I mean,
> if you use a non-free IDE to write a program, would the GPL restrict you
> from distributing your code under it? I doubt it.
>
> As long as the MIDI files don't need the original (Shareware) program to
> play you should be fine distributing it under the GPL.

I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear.  That last paragraph was meant to
indicate WAV files which were derived from MIDI files via use of
non-free soundfonts, not the original MIDI file itself.

Andrew Sidwell