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List:       helix-open-discuss
Subject:    [Open-discuss] Using MP3 and AAC implementation in GPL code (was:
From:       Rob Lanphier <robla () real ! com>
Date:       2005-04-29 18:02:05
Message-ID: 1114797725.3937.35.camel () localhost ! localdomain
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Hi Alastair,

Sorry for the runaround.  I'm moving the conversation (again) to the
open-licensing alias.

The short answer is that MP3 and AAC are patented, and those patents are
licensed from their licensors in a GPL incompatible way.

Rob

On Thu, 2005-04-28 at 20:58 -0700, milko wrote:
> Moving to open-discuss mailing list...
> 
> At 04:21 PM 4/28/2005, Alastair wrote:
> >I apologise, I know this is a development list, but I am unclear on how we 
> >can use RPSL licensed libraries (specifically, your fixed point MP3 and 
> >AAC decoders) in our GPL project (http://ipodlinux.org/). If this is 
> >inappropriate, is there a legal list I can post to? I understand that 
> >legal advice is never free, but we are a no budget operation consisting of 
> >hobbyists with no legal team :)
> >
> >Currently, we package the libraries (with all appropriate license files) 
> >unmodified, with a separate build system (GNU makefiles). We've taken the 
> >assumption that this is OK - if not please notify us of any required changes.
> >
> >However if in the near future we are to modify the libraries (to further 
> >optimise them for the iPod's ARM7TDMI, specifically splitting it across 
> >the PortalPlayer's two cores), what are the requirements of the RPSL in 
> >terms of making these changes available? Do we need to distribute patches 
> >or just the modified source (with a changelog)? Does the source need to be 
> >specifically presented to Real in some way or just made publicly available?
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >--
> >Alastair Stuart
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Datatype-dev mailing list
> >Datatype-dev@helixcommunity.org
> >http://lists.helixcommunity.org/mailman/listinfo/datatype-dev
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Open-discuss mailing list
> Open-discuss@helixcommunity.org
> http://lists.helixcommunity.org/mailman/listinfo/open-discuss
-- 
Rob Lanphier, Development Support Manager - RealNetworks
Helix Community: http://helixcommunity.org 
Development Support:
http://www.realnetworks.com/products/support/devsupport



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