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List:       helix-open-discuss
Subject:    Re: Question on Open Source
From:       Mark Murphy <mlmurphy () real ! com>
Date:       2002-09-10 16:16:44
Message-ID: 5.1.0.14.2.20020910090248.00b961c0 () mail ! real ! com
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At 01:16 AM 9/10/2002, TK Tan wrote:
>Hi Mark,
>
>I was reading the mailing list that is on the Helix community site and was
>curious as to what part of the source code will be released.
>
>In particular, I am interested as to whether the source code for the latest
>audio or video encoder and decoder are open or not.

Thanks for your interest!

Technical details on the Helix DNA client can be found at:

http://www.helixcommunity.org/content/tech/client.html

As you will see there, some RealAudio and RealVideo codecs will be 
available in binary-only form in the Helix Community. Access to the source 
code to those codecs requires a separate commercial software license. 
However, the source code to some codecs, such as MP3, will be released as 
part of Helix.

>As an example will I be able to take the real video encoder 9 and tweek it
>or even modify the compression methods within to suit my needs under the
>RCSL.
>
>Maybe the first question to ask is will the realvideo encoder(&decoder) 9 be
>part
>of the open source :).

For the sake of clarity, the RCSL is a community source license, more like 
Sun's community source around various Java technologies. The open source 
license is the RPSL. The Helix DNA client will be dual-licensed under both 
of those licenses. You can read more about these licenses at:

http://www.helixcommunity.org/content/licenses.html

>The second question (probably more relevent to the licensing list) is will
>there be any issues of contamination.  In other words,
>will a developer that has been exposed to the source code of the Real codec
>be
>considered contaminated and therefore is not allowed to work on other
>similar
>codec projects in case he / she puts the other project in jeopardy of
>infringing
>on IP belonging to Real?

You would need to ask your legal counsel that question. If you are 
interested in licensing the RealAudio and RealVideo codecs, the commercial 
source code license should explain the intellectual property issues around 
the use of that code.

I am sorry that I was unable to provide more details than this, but the 
licensing of RealAudio and RealVideo source code is better handled through 
RealNetworks itself. If you have any other questions on Helix, the 
community or the Helix DNA client, post them to 
discuss@open.helixcommunity.org.

Thanks again for your interest in Helix!


Mark Murphy, Helix Community Manager
CollabNet, Inc.
mlmurphy@real.com / mmurphy@collab.net


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