VLC For iOS Returns On July 19, Rewritten and Fully Open-Sourced 203
An anonymous reader writes "VideoLAN revealed some very exciting news today: VLC for iOS will be back in Apple's App Store by tomorrow (July 19). The company tells TNW the app will be available for free worldwide, requires iOS 5.1 or later, as well supports the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. As you can expect, VLC for iOS version 2.0 will be open-source. This time, however, its code will be available online (also by tomorrow), bi-licensed under both the Mozilla Public License Version 2 as well as the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later."
3 2 1 Takedown (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't understand how they think this will work. LibVLC is LGPL, and unless they got consent from _every_ VLC contributor or the terms and conditions changed dramatically the last couple of months they can't distribute it on the iOS App Store. Sorry, but you picked the wrong license if that was something you wanted to do.
Re:3 2 1 Takedown (Score:2, Interesting)
It's not Apple doing the abusing. It's the GPL that is incompatible with the App Store. There's no Apple rule that stops GPL software appearing on the App Store.
The only reason users of the iPhone haven't had VLC for all this time is the GPL and the decision by it's developers to remove it. It's not as a result of anything Apple has done.
It's good to see an outbreak of common sense, and the use of a non-GPL license this time round.
Re:3 2 1 Takedown (Score:4, Interesting)
App developers deserve to distribute their software under their own terms. . Apple limits this and the way users are allowed to use the software. This breaks the fundamental principles of free software, which says that you the user should not be dominated by someone else in order to do your computing.
Yes they do but where does it developers have a right to use Apple's store to distribute their software as they wish. Nowhere. You want to write an app and post your source code for the world to see, that's your choice. If you want to use someone's distribution channel you have to abide by their rules.
Apple does not allow developers to distribute their software under fair conditions.
Apple does not allow developers to distribute software under your conditions. What you consider fair is not what everyone considers fair. Some developers do not want anyone to see their source code under any circumstances.
Re:3 2 1 Takedown (Score:4, Interesting)
What you consider fair is not what everyone considers fair. Some developers do not want anyone to see their source code under any circumstances.
Those two things are not mutually exclusive as you frame them. In fact, every other platform manages to accommodate both.
Yes they do but where does it developers have a right to use Apple's store to distribute their software as they wish. Nowhere.
Perfectly true. And the developers of GPL software have every right to have their work removed from Apple's store and encourage others to do the same. Somehow I think no GPL software in the ios ecosystem would be more harmful to the ios usebase than it would be to writers of GPL software.