[vorbis-dev] Vorbis license terms?

[Frank Earl]

On Tue, 15 Feb 2000, Monty wrote:

> (As a note... this is now becoming a discussion wandering from practical
> bearing on Vorbis to abstract flaming.  It's already been had at great length
> elsewhere, and prior experience indicates that it's not going to end until
> someone invokes Hitler)

Well, Monty, I'd say that the above would reference constitute that...  :->

Folks, this is rather silly.  The people writing the software get to pick the
license used for distribution.  If you don't like it, don't use the library.

> >     The GPL does not remove any freedom over source you write.
> 
> No, it simply takes rights away from other developers.  *I* can still do 
> whatever I want.  Others are tied.  That's not freedom in the real world.

The only real freedom that it takes away from you is the freedom for another
developer to take your work and privatize it or claim it's all his work.  With
BSD, Artistic, or works properly in the Public Domain, one could do that. 
With GPL/LGPL you legally can't.  Personally, for something like this, LGPL
is as close to the ideal as we could possibly get unless you're wanting to
make those who want to make commercial, closed versions of the Vorbis
implementation pay for further development by arranging other licenses- for
that the GPL would work as well.  


-- 
Frank Earl

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