mpg123 contains GPL code?
This was forwarded to me by a freeamp developer. He said that mpg123
contains GPL'd code, but its license prohibits non-free use.
Anyone know what the legal status of mpg123 is?
Ben
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Message-ID: <19981009223026.C20818@fatman.freeamp.org>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 22:30:26 -0700
From: Jason Dale Woodward <jdw@fatman.freeamp.org>
To: Ben Gertzfield <che@debian.org>
Subject: Re: debian freeamp package
References: <19981009130953.A16186@fatman.freeamp.org> <yttzpb5kz15.fsf@gilgamesh.cse.ucsc.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Ben-
Thanks for the info on the Debian rules, and that there are, sorta,
two distributions. I've been a RedHat guy for a while. Debian has
been tempting me recently though... probably when I get a new machine
I'll give it a go.
I did look more closely, however, at the docs distributed with mpg123
and noticed that he states in his README:
'In the current layer3.c I'm using a DCT36 from Jeff Tsay's
(ctsay@pasteur.eecs.berkeley.edu) maplay 1.2+ package. His code is
under GPL ..'
This (along with the non-commercial usage policy) is basically what
turned my company off to using it, and prompted us to do our own. I
don't believe he is legally allowed to do this (without Jeff Tsay's
permission, which he doesn't state he has).
Thanks for your input!
jason
On Fri, Oct 09, 1998 at 06:04:38PM -0700, Ben Gertzfield wrote:
> >>>>> "Jason" == Jason Dale Woodward <jdw@fatman.freeamp.org> writes:
>
> Jason> Ben and Paul- We just released v0.5 of FreeAmp. Its now
> Jason> the fastest GPL MP3 player available. We now feature
> Jason> mpg123 command line compatability. Tres Cool :)
>
> Neat! I'll package it up. :)
>
> Jason> Not to be a sour puss or anything (and, of course, to
> Jason> advance FreeAmp), in light of the recent Debian and KDE
> Jason> things, I think you should reevaluate maintaining an mpg123
> Jason> package. Their license does not allow (necessarily)
> Jason> commercial use, which I believe violates the Debian Free
> Jason> Software Guidelines.
>
> mpg123 is in the non-free Debian distribution, which is perfectly
> fine.
>
> [che@che:~]% dpkg --status mpg123 5:54PM
> Package: mpg123
> Status: install ok installed
> Priority: optional
> Section: non-free/sound
> Installed-Size: 162
> Maintainer: Paul Haggart <phaggart@debian.org>
> Version: 0.59o-2
> Depends: libc6
> Description: MPEG layer 1/2/3 audio player
> Mpg123 is a fast, free and portable MPEG audio player for Unix. It supports
> MPEG 1.0/2.0 layers 1, 2 and 3 (those famous "mp3" files).
> .
> For full CD quality playback (44 kHz, 16 bit, stereo) a Pentium,
> SPARCstation10, DEC Alpha or similar CPU is required. Mono and/or reduced
> quality playback (22 kHz or 11 kHz) is even possible on 486 CPUs.
>
> Non-DFSG software can be a part of Debian, it just cannot be a part
> of the 'main' distribution of Debian.
>
> KDE is another kettle of fish; it cannot be distributed in binary form
> *at all* with its current license. They also take other people's GPL
> code and fold in a QT interface, which is a violation of the GPL.
>
> --
> Brought to you by the letters W and K and the number 6.
> "Arrrrrh. This chair be high, says I." -- Blackbeard the Pirate
> Debian GNU/Linux -- where do you want to go tomorrow? http://www.debian.org/
> I'm on FurryMUCK as Che, and EFNet and YiffNet IRC as Che_Fox.
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