[Bf-committers] Quicktime License issue....

[Stefan Gartner]

QuickTime is part of OS X, so from a legal standpoint adding QuickTime=20
import/export would be ok for the OS X version of blender?

Although libquicktime (which is released under the LGPL) is also availabl=
e for=20
OS X...

BTW, the only GPL project I know that uses QuickTime is macam, a USB webc=
am=20
driver/capturing app for OS X: http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/

sgefant


On Thursday 23 January 2003 16:21, Alistair Riddoch wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 23, 2003 at 02:00:23PM +0100, Arne Schmitz wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > Am Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2003 13:16 schrieb Ton Roosendaal:
> > > So no GPL project uses apple quicktime?
> >
> > MPlayer uses the Windows Quicktime DLLs. See http://www.mplayerhq.hu =
for
> > more details. They don't link against them, but load them via a loade=
r
> > library based on WINE, as far as I remember.
> >
> > But I don't think that the MPlayer code is very clean or easily adapt=
able
> > to blender. :-) -- Apart from the legal aspect...
> >
> > But in my opinion linking against closed source libraries is NOT
> > prohibited by the GPL. Think about all the GPL Motif applications tha=
t
> > existed before Motif became opensource.
> > Also remember that there are GPL'ed Windows applications that are lin=
ked
> > against MFC and stuff.
> > See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL
>
> The point being made by the question you link to above relates to
> a special exception in clause 3 of the GPL which I quote here:
>
> "However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not
> include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or bina=
ry
> form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
> operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component it=
self
> accompanies the executable."
>
> So if the Quicktime DLLs are normally distributed with the OS, the Comp=
iler
> or the Linker, and the DLLs are not included with your program, then
> you qualify for this exception.
>
> In your above example, both Motif and the Windows MFC and runtime are
> normally distributed with their respective OS.
>
> I am in contact with the FSFs license engineer, who may have time to an=
swer
> more specific questions if you have any.
>
> Al