Vorbis dev - Sep 2000 - Closed Source Releases (Ekk a LGPL problem)

Hi every one,
    I have an unfortunate need to release a closed source BeOS media codec
 for Vorbis, basically I'm using headers under an NDA so I can't release
them.
 (Yeah I know closed source boo hiss).
So I have a couple of question about what I need to do for all this
to be above board.

I've made no changes to the libraries so thats not a problem. 

As far as I can see as  'linking a "work that uses the Library"
with the
Library
creates an executable that is a derivative of the Library '  means that
anything that links the Vorbis Libaries is covered by section 6. of the LGPL
which states I must

1) Allow modification and reverse engineering (but I don't have to make it
easy)

2) supply a copy of the LGPL and give clear notice that the libraries are 
used.

3) do one of... 

a)Include the Vorbis source code for  and the .o file for the 'work' 
(so the
headers are not revealed)
or link to these,  or verify that the users already have these.

b) used a shared library version of Vorbis (not yet an option)

c) Include Written (does this include text file) three year offer for the 
stuff metioned in a)
 

So what I want to do is 1,2 and 3a.... is that right ?...or too much or too 
to little. Or have I 
misread the LGPL.

Dave
 

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On Thu, Sep 07, 2000 at 11:06:32PM +0200, David Burnett
wrote:
> Hi every one,
>     I have an unfortunate need to release a closed source BeOS media codec
>  for Vorbis, basically I'm using headers under an NDA so I can't
release
> them.
>  (Yeah I know closed source boo hiss).
> So I have a couple of question about what I need to do for all this
> to be above board.
As far as I can tell, that's simply not possible under the GPL.
To meet your qualifications, you'll need to reimplement the vorbis 
codec from spec.

What headers do you need that are only available under NDA?  Are you
developing for beta BeOS, BONE, or is there something else involved?


-- 
David Terrell             | "Any sufficiently advanced technology 
Prime Minister, Nebcorp   | is indistinguishable from a rigged demo."
dbt@meat.net              |  - Brian Swetland
http://wwn.nebcorp.com/

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I don't understand your problem.  Why aren't you compiling the Vorbis 
reference implementation as a shared library and then just 
dynamically linking against that in your closed code?

(Or am I incorrect in my understanding of the LGPL?  I thought the 
ability to do things like the above was the whole point of using the 
LGPL...)


-- 
Chris Hanson
bDistributed.com, Inc.
cmh@bDistributed.com

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On Thu, 7 Sep 2000, David Burnett wrote:
> I've made no changes to the libraries so thats not a problem. 
> 
    If the version of the library you distribute doesn't use these
proprietary headers, then it doesn't seem like you'd have any problems.
> 1) Allow modification and reverse engineering (but I don't have to make
it
> easy)
    Neither of these are within your power to control anyway.  Copyright
law dictates - anyone can modify their copy(ies) of any work they own
however they see fit. (distributing those modifications is a separate
matter).  This assumes you haven't made a valid contract with the
purchaser - of course, mass-market licenses have not been proven binding
yet (and I don't believe they will be when it gets taken to the USSC).

Lynn

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