Archimedia Master Player violates the GPL

[Kieran Kunhya]

Copies of avcodec-55.dll, ffprobe.exe etc all setup as --enable-gpl

/home/kyle/software/ffmpeg/source/ffmpeg-git/cmdutils.c
etc

[ctsang]

Is this issue resolved by simply using the LGPLv3 version of the binaries?" As the name of the product suggests, its a player only and does not perform any form of encoding and we have not modified any FFmpeg source code. Can we use the GPLv3 licensing and provide a link to the original ffmpeg source code and update our EULA information to comply?

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

You have to host the exact source code that was used to compile the binaries that you distribute (the source code had to "accompany" the binary distribution). You cannot fulfil this requirement with a link to our homepage (or somewhere else where your user will not find the exact source code used).
Could you confirm that you tell your users in installation of your software that binaries based on FFmpeg are installed on their system and under which software license you distribute these binaries? Please see https://ffmpeg.org/legal.html for a short and comprehensive checklist.

[ctsang]

OK, we can host the exact source code on our own site but do we use the LGPLv3 or GPLv3 licence? I'm really not sure what the difference is for our purpose and we simply used the binaries from the Zeranoe site.
In our copyright information, we do mention the use of FFmpeg and its libraries but not in the exact words as described in that legal documents. The legal.html only refers to LGPL so what is the checklist for GPLv3? We will amend it as soon as we know what it is.

[Timothy Gu]

Replying to ctsang:

OK, we can host the exact source code on our own site but do we use the LGPLv3 or GPLv3 licence? I'm really not sure what the difference is for our purpose and we simply used the binaries from the Zeranoe site.

The LGPL allows you to use FFmpeg in a non-GPL software (like yours), while GPL does not. Zeranoe builds are GPL, so you can't use Zeranoe builds anyway.

In our copyright information, we do mention the use of FFmpeg and its libraries but not in the exact words as described in that legal documents. The legal.html only refers to LGPL so what is the checklist for GPLv3? We will amend it as soon as we know what it is.

Again, you are not allowed to use GPL at all, unless you are GPLing your program.

The page we linked applied only for LGPL, because that is the only license you are allowed to use FFmpeg.

---

So what you need to do:

Option 1:

1. Open source and GPL your application.
2. Nothing.

Option 2:

1. Make a customized LGPL build.
2. Follow the checklist on ​http://ffmpeg.org/legal.html

[ctsang]

OK, understood. We will find the LGPL binaries to relink.
Thanks

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

Installer is Archimedia_Master_Player_x86_v2.2.1.21.exe, 245771080 bytes, md5sum ece44f5df8c862114047750fbaa531a8
Several dll's that are installed depend on libavcodec which was compiled with "--enable-gpl". Installation shows no software license afaict, the copyright notice in one of the installed application says "This computer program and its associated software libraries are protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorised reproduction, distribution or reverse engineering of this program, its source code and libraries is prohibited by law. Kakadu Software, MXFLib and FFmpeg Libraries used under their respective licenses."

[TimNich]

According to an email received today regarding this issue, when it was queried by someone else in my organisation, Archimedia claim:-

"….it was purely in the licensing we now disclose and credit the 3rd party vendors in the licensing."

Are they now compliant?

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

If Archimedia believes they are compliant, it would probably be a good idea to tell us here on the bug tracker (not via private conversation) if they want this ticket closed.

[TimNich]

Replying to cehoyos:

If Archimedia believes they are compliant, it would probably be a good idea to tell us here on the bug tracker (not via private conversation) if they want this ticket closed.

Well Archimedia clearly do now consider themselves to be compliant and I was wondering if that was the view from the ffmpeg side. I would hope the ticket would be closed when the ffmpeg community think it should be closed, not because Archimedia think it should be.

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

Replying to nichot20:

Well Archimedia clearly do now consider themselves to be compliant

Why do you think so?
If they believe that they comply with the (L)GPL now, wouldn't they request here that the ticket be closed?

[TimNich]

Replying to cehoyos:

Replying to nichot20:

Well Archimedia clearly do now consider themselves to be compliant

Why do you think so?
If they believe that they comply with the (L)GPL now, wouldn't they request here that the ticket be closed?

I think so because the issue was specifically queried with them and their response was reported to me as I originally quoted. Since I would have expected them to request the ticket closure, as you suggest, and they do not appear to have done so, I thought it appropriate to enquire here if their current stated position was shared by the ffmpeg community.

If this is not the case, then this can be fed back to them in response to their assertion, in the hope of focussing their attention on the need to deal properly with this issue, rather than to try and just glibly pass it off.

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

So where can I find the updated installer?

[TimNich]

Having been loaned a system I have inspected the ffmpeg.exe and av*.dll's in a hex editor and all contain amongst the usual compile option verbiage the string " license: LGPL version 3 or later."

They also supply a link to the modified source code they say they used to build these versions:-

​https://support.archimediatech.tv/LicensingInformation/ThirdPartyCopyright/SourceCode/ffmpeg-2.2.3.tar.bz2

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

Replying to nichot20:

Having been loaned a system I have inspected the ffmpeg.exe and av*.dll's in a hex editor and all contain amongst the usual compile option verbiage the string " license: LGPL version 3 or later."

They also supply a link to the modified source code they say they used to build these versions:-

​https://support.archimediatech.tv/LicensingInformation/ThirdPartyCopyright/SourceCode/ffmpeg-2.2.3.tar.bz2

404

Where can I find the current installer?

[TimNich]

Replying to cehoyos:

Replying to nichot20:

..
They also supply a link to the modified source code they say they used to build these versions:-

​https://support.archimediatech.tv/LicensingInformation/ThirdPartyCopyright/SourceCode/ffmpeg-2.2.3.tar.bz2

404

Where can I find the current installer?

I was simply provided with a prebuilt turnkey system. I think if you go to ​https://support.archimediatech.tv and create an account you can download a demo version.

[TimNich]

Replying to cehoyos:

Replying to nichot20:

[….]

They also supply a link to the modified source code they say they used to build these versions:-

​https://support.archimediatech.tv/LicensingInformation/ThirdPartyCopyright/SourceCode/ffmpeg-2.2.3.tar.bz2

404

Where can I find the current installer?

That link now works….

[ctsang]

I was not aware I had specifically request to close this ticket. You can verify our use of the libraries by visiting www.archimediatech.com and then creating an account in the support site and logging in. You can then access the download page. Look at Atlas (formally Master Player) and you will see "Copyright information" on the page. This will give you the licenses we use. Download and install Atlas or Iris (they use the same libraries) and then you can verify the DLLs yourselves. You will need a license to actually run the software but the DDLs are in the installation folder for you to check.

We have spent considerable time in building the LGPL versions ourselves so we are sure we no longer infringe on the GPL license.

I am requesting this ticket to be closed unless someone tells us otherwise.
Thank you

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

Replying to ctsang:

I was not aware I had specifically request to close this ticket.

How else would we know that you believe to be in compliance with the (L)GPL now?

You can verify our use of the libraries by visiting www.archimediatech.com and then creating an account in the support site and logging in. You can then access the download page. Look at Atlas (formally Master Player) and you will see "Copyright information" on the page. This will give you the licenses we use. Download and install Atlas or Iris (they use the same libraries) and then you can verify the DLLs yourselves. You will need a license to actually run the software but the DDLs are in the installation folder for you to check.

If you want your software license reinstated (you need this to legally distribute binaries based on FFmpeg source code), please understand that you have to provide a permanent link to your installer. Without such a link, we would not be able to check if you comply with the (L)GPL in the future.

We have spent considerable time in building the LGPL versions ourselves so we are sure we no longer infringe on the GPL license.

Sorry if you disagree but I don't find this argument very useful: We did spent considerable time to write FFmpeg.

[ctsang]

I'm not disagreeing, I'm just trying to comply without knowing how to!
The link to our download is as permanent as the site. Anyone can log in and download it. Anyway here is the output of our ffmpeg.exe after installation. You can download and verify it.

C:\Program Files\Archimedia Technology\Archimedia Atlas>ffmpeg
ffmpeg version 2.2.3 Copyright (c) 2000-2014 the FFmpeg developers

built on Oct 31 2014 12:17:32 with gcc 4.9.1 (GCC)
configuration: --arch=x86_64 --target-os=mingw32 --enable-cross-compile --cros

s-prefix=x86_64-w64-mingw32- --enable-shared --enable-version3 --pkg-config=pkg-
config --disable-debug

libavutil 52. 66.100 / 52. 66.100
libavcodec 55. 52.102 / 55. 52.102
libavformat 55. 33.100 / 55. 33.100
libavdevice 55. 10.100 / 55. 10.100
libavfilter 4. 2.100 / 4. 2.100
libswscale 2. 5.102 / 2. 5.102
libswresample 0. 18.100 / 0. 18.100

Hyper fast Audio and Video encoder
usage: ffmpeg [options] [[infile options] -i infile]... {[outfile options] outfi
le}...

Use -h to get full help or, even better, run 'man ffmpeg'
Conversion failed!

C:\Program Files\Archimedia Technology\Archimedia Atlas>

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

What is needed is a download link that works without identification or login.

[ctsang]

About box of Atlas 3.3.1.

[ctsang]

I have attached the About box of Atlas to this thread. The copyright links are the same as those on our site. The source code accompanying the binaries are present in the box:
​https://support.archimediatech.tv/LicensingInformation/ThirdPartyCopyright/SourceCode/ffmpeg-2.2.3.tar.bz2

Our product is hosted on our corporate FTP and that is not anonymous and there is no mention in the legal requirement https://ffmpeg.org/legal.html that the installer must be hosted on an unauthenticated location. I doubt I will be able to change that.