[Bf-committers] Blender on the Mac App Store

[Mathias Panzenböck]

On 07/22/2011 12:54 AM, J. wrote:
>  From the Mac App Store Terms and conditions:
>
>
> "Programs that don’t comply with Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines will not be accepted."
>
> Blender uses its own HIG.
>
>  From the Adium Mailing list:
>
> "In the current agreement for the App Store - on all platforms - there are several provisions which restrict distribution.  These are incompatible with the GPL.  If we were to submit Adium to the App Store, any contributor - which includes contributors to underlying libraries like libpurple, libglib, or libintl - could (1) sue us directly and (2) activate the deauthorization provision in the GPL to remove our right to use the code, both because we would have knowingly violated the GPL."
>
> This was checked with Karen Sandler, which is their legal representative.
>
> These are the 2 main reasons Blender can't use the Mac App Store. Of course the Blender Foundation can ask Apple but is a well known fact that Apple dislike the GPL, and i know at least that the ffmpeg/libav guys are pretty willing to fight anyone that uses their code in any way that breaks the GPL/LGPL part of their licensed code.
>
> Can of worms, anyone?
>
> Regards.
>
> J.

I don't understand:
If Apple is seen as the distributor it would be Apple that violates the GPL, because it does not 
provide any source. If not, then the source is not needed to be in the App Store but just somehow 
reachable (link to blender.org) and there would be no violation at all.

Anyway, yes, it seems to be not worth the trouble at all.

	-panzi