[mythtv-users] TapeWorm Beta 4 - new features, and now, fewer bugs!

Graham Wood mythtv-users at spam.dragonhold.org
Thu Apr 6 15:51:22 UTC 2006


On Thu, Apr 06, 2006 at 11:39:37AM -0400, Jeff Simpson wrote:
> Now look at the big picture
This is the step that is wrong.  The GPL covers the work itself, not the
data generated - and this is a pretty fundamental step.  Or do you think
that a company that creates maps has to release the maps as GPL if they
use software that runs on Linux to capture the data?

> It does sound absurd, I agree, but effectively it is somebody
> "profiting" off myth without contributing his code back to the
> community, the exact thing GPL is designed to prevent. If anyone
> deserves to charge a $10 donation-in-their-name fee, it's the MythTV
> developers.
I wouldn't agree with someone creating such a work, and charging for it
(I've been ignoring this thread since I am not interested in such a
product) but I would argue that it's not illegal.

I've also not looked too closely at the license model behind mythtv,
since I'm not doing anything that could break any likely license, but
neither the gpl nor the lgpl would apply.  In fact, the whole reason for
the lgpl is to allow this sort of thing to be done!

--

Before I get flamed by people - let me repeat there are two points to
this post:
1) The GPL is not relevant, unless the code of myth is required for the
app to run - the data generated is not covered.
2) I would personally not use something like that that required payment
- since that would be really nasty to the people that have put in so
  much more work already.

Graham


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