[Speex-dev] Optimized Codecs for Blackfin DSP

[Jean-Marc Valin]

OK, I think I should clear up a couple things here. The first paragraph
of the open-source definition is:

"The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away
the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution
containing programs from several different sources. The license shall
not require a royalty or other fee for such sale."

Clearly, if I start giving away software that has patents, someone will
come after me for royalties. And I know you can probably write a G.729
implementation from scratch and give the source away at no cost, but it
still won't be open-source. There's more to open-source than merely have
the source available at no cost. It's for a similar reason that iLBC is
not open-source despite making the source available available free of
charge.

	Jean-Marc

Le jeudi 24 mars 2005 à 17:56 +0200, Miroslav Nachev a écrit :
>    Dear Jean,
> 
>    The source code for G.729 can be download from ITU for free. Also,
> some developer can do yourself as open source G.729 codec without any
> help. In this case each who use this codec which source code is free
> and open source must pay, but not to the developer.
>    
> 
>    Best Regards,
>    Miroslav Nachev
> 
> JMV> Le jeudi 24 mars 2005 à 10:08 +0000, John Villar a écrit :
> >> Jean-Marc, that's not the definition of OpenSource, that's the
> >> definition of "Free Software" (Libre!=Gratis)
> 
> JMV> Open-Source and Free Software are basically doing the same thing for
> JMV> different reasons. If something isn't free software, it's not
> JMV> open-source either. There may be exceptions, but I have yet to come
> JMV> across one. Certainly not for G.729 or G.723.1.
> 
> JMV> 	Jean-Marc
> 
> >> John Villar
> >> Gerente de Proyectos
> >> Computadores Flor Hard Soft 2058 C.A.
> >> www.florhard.com
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Jean-Marc Valin wrote: 
> >> > >    Concerning of patent issues, you are not right. The patent is for
> >> > > their using, not for the source code. Every one which use G.729, G.723
> >> > > must pay taxes for each simultaneous channel and this tax is not
> >> > > depend which source code you use - your own or open source or another.
> >> > >     
> >> > 
> >> > Have you recently looked up the definition of open-source? The minimum
> >> > requirement is that you're allowed to freely use modify and redistribute
> >> > the software. With that in mind, G.729 can never be open-source until
> >> > all patents expire. In the best case you could have source available for
> >> > free, but that's very far from open-source.
> >> > 
> >> > 	Jean-Marc
> >> > 
> >> >   
> 
> 
-- 
Jean-Marc Valin <Jean-Marc.Valin at USherbrooke.ca>
Université de Sherbrooke