XviD code used in Sigma codec without permission
Hello all, I just wanted to let you know.
Copy&paste from doom.org , News 8/23
XviD development has been stopped!
The Sigma Designs REALMagic MPEG-4 Video Codec contains wide portions of code taken from the XviD project. Soon after the initial release of the REALMagic codec the XviD developers have contacted Sigma and informed them about the GPL violation (for those who don't know, XviD is distributed under the GNU Public License - GPL - which demands that if you modify a GPL program you have to release it under the GPL, which in this case means that the source code of the Sigma codec must be freely available). Sigma promised to replace the stolen code, but the new version of the codec which was released this month only disguises the stolen code, it was not actually removed. Sigma was once again contacted and asked to remove the offending code but until today nothing has happened. Therefore the XviD team is now turning to the public in the hope to receive wide public support in their efforts to convince Sigma Designs to respect the terms of the GPL. And until the matter has been resolved XviD development will not continue.
That being said I hope all the forum members who saw their threads about the Sigma Codecs being closed will understand our motivation now. Internally we already knew what was going on but since the XviD authors first wanted to try and resolve this internally we respected their wishes and kept quiet about the matter at hand.
Hello all, I just wanted to let you know.
Copy&paste from doom.org , News 8/23
XviD development has been stopped!
The Sigma Designs REALMagic MPEG-4 Video Codec contains wide portions of code taken from the XviD project. Soon after the initial release of the REALMagic codec the XviD developers have contacted Sigma and informed them about the GPL violation (for those who don't know, XviD is distributed under the GNU Public License - GPL - which demands that if you modify a GPL program you have to release it under the GPL, which in this case means that the source code of the Sigma codec must be freely available). Sigma promised to replace the stolen code, but the new version of the codec which was released this month only disguises the stolen code, it was not actually removed. Sigma was once again contacted and asked to remove the offending code but until today nothing has happened. Therefore the XviD team is now turning to the public in the hope to receive wide public support in their efforts to convince Sigma Designs to respect the terms of the GPL. And until the matter has been resolved XviD development will not continue.
That being said I hope all the forum members who saw their threads about the Sigma Codecs being closed will understand our motivation now. Internally we already knew what was going on but since the XviD authors first wanted to try and resolve this internally we respected their wishes and kept quiet about the matter at hand.
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