[Bug 725937] Bindings are AGPL 3 licensed

[GStreamer (bugzilla.gnome.org)]

https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=725937
  GStreamer | gst-sharp | git

--- Comment #4 from Nicolas Dufresne <nicolas.dufresne at collabora.co.uk> 2014-03-08 23:27:52 UTC ---
(In reply to comment #2)
> Not true, there's a provision for this in the LICENSE file.

Here's the reference:

You can request a usage exception:</p>
<ul>
    <li>On request, if your software is opensource, writing to <a
href="mailto:ssundermann at gnome.org">ssundermann at gnome.org</a></li>
    <li>Acquiring a commercial license, writing to <a
href="mailto:ssundermann at gnome.org">ssundermann at gnome.org</a></li>
</ul>


Basically what you state there in that licence file, is that you personally
grant yourself the right to choose who is allowed to use gstreamer-sharp under
the LGPL terms. There is conceptual problem with that. First if people need
that grant, it's probably because there is a real need for it, then having to
ask permission and leaving to one person the decision (there is not offence on
judgment, just conceptually) limits freedom to use the binding. The second
issue, is that each person to who you already granted LGPL right on this
software are automatically granted the right to distribute again (this is what
LGPL is about). Hence, the request is not required, as long as I make sure to
download banshee source code first.

The first question I would ask is why do we care about the use of this software
on server. Isn't it a marginal use of GStreamer and GStreamer Sharp today ?

My other concern is around the patent clause, it's very unsafe to distribute
gstreamer-sharp, gstreamer and any patented codec all together for a patent
holder. Even the fact that most of us uses the + variant is a problem to some
of them. Companies in the the streaming industry do own patents, and have to
play that game. If we use licences that clearly put at risk their patents, they
will go back into using proprietary software (and raise the appliance price).
Now, you'll come up with the offer to give commercial licence. This indeed may
solve the problem, though I don't think it is coherent with the licensing
scheme of GStreamer.

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