AVbin licensing and distribution.
There is a really short summary at the bottom.
Here is the licensing summary, if I have anything wrong let me know:
(1) AVbin is LGPL. The library libav it uses it under LGPL (as currently
configured)
(1a) AVbin does not need to be under the LGLP, if it were dynamically
linked. This also means that a python library could be written to use libav
if it were dynamically linked, which is really the usual way with
python.ctypes anyway.
(2) The LGLP license requires all conveyors (distributors) of the binary
library libav, to also:
either (a) distribute the source along with it
or (b) Make a promissory declaration to provide the source code to
libAV if asked, and can charge a fee to cover the costs of doing so.
This is why there are installers on the AVbin web site. I means that you
can make an app, and tell users to install AVbin themselfs from the
website, so you don't have to provide the source for it, because you are
not distributing it.
Of course most people ignore this anyway, i.e. a whole bunch of people
using QT are *supposed* to make the source available to QT, but people
don't tend to bother.
So if you include AVbin now in a zip file you are *supposed* to let them
have the source if they want it, although I wouldn't worry about your demo
apps and such for sure.
However, if you want to be properly compliant then the best way is it
include a note that says where the source code came from, and state they
can have a copy for a fee to cover costs if they want. Having said that,
AVbin is pretty small so you can just dump the source code in your apps
directory somewhere with a little note, and a copy of the GPL license, and
it's job done.
This is where the LGPL is a little silly because you can just go download
the same source off the web, but those are the official rules.
(3) As far as pyglet and Avbin are concerned. The 3 clause BSD license is
compatible with the LGPL, so av bin could be included in binary for various
os builds. The LGLP must be followed, so the source code must be made
available, not necessarily as part of pyglet. It can be somewhere else on
the pyglet website, in source control, or wherever.
Of course, users of pyglet would then, as stated before have to provide the
source code to avBin, or a promise if they distributed it themselves. I
expect pyglet users distribute AVbin now but forget, or don't really comply
with the last part.
That's LGPL in a nutshell, and how it works for AVbin. Bear in mind that
someone would have to care if you failed to ship the source with libav,
assuming you've not changed it, and nobody cares because it's the same as
what's on the upstream libav website.
really short summary
------------------------------
(1) AVbin could, if desired that is be written in python, and there would
be no licensing problems assuming the libav dynamic library is used (this
is the only practical way for python really anyway.
(2) pyglet could include the binary libraries in the pyglet source tree,
*if desired*
to do this, the libav source code would have to either be there, or
somewhere else to hand on the if someone wanted it, e.g. a bitbucket repo,
out of the way. Plus instructions at to where this said source lives.
(3) If you give out your pyglet application, and include AVbin binaries,
you are *supposed to*, give out the source to AVbin, or give it out if you
are asked for it, and say that it can be gotten off you for a reasonable
handling fee.
(3b) you can of course send users to the avbin website instead, or any
other site and tell them to pick up the said binaries and corresponding
source, if they want it, so long as it's not in the thing you distribute.
It's not the Fee Software Foundation, or the libav developers you need to
worry about knocking on your door, it's the tax man.
So there are some 'options' for avbin distribution here, or indeed a python
layer instead, or even to use something more friendly for audio/video
codecs, namely libvorbis/ogg/libtheora which have a 3-BSD license. These
are just *ideas*. It would all require some varying degrees of work, but
it's something to talk about.
All clear? Comments?
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