[Asterisk-Users] Free G.729 ready for download

[Mark Spencer]

Regardless of whether or not you have licensed G.729 from SIPRO 
independently of Digium, the distribution of the codec, linked against 
Intel's proprietary IPP library, is clearly and totally in direct 
violation of the terms of the GPL.  There is no room for argument on this 
issue.

We are doing our best to mitigate the situation by removing the link to 
the illegal software from the list, and I ask that no more members on the 
list post any URL's to illegal software.

Setting aside the extreme tackiness of using our own mailing list to post 
illegal software, I am nothing short of appalled to see an Asterisk user 
taking advantage of our hard work and then producing a product to 
circumvent the very revenue stream which makes it possible for us to do so 
and to offer the LEGAL licensing of G.729 to the community.

Digium has worked hard to produce Free Software for building a phone 
system and we have released EVERYTHING we've done under GPL or other open 
source license, with the exception of the items we are not permitted to 
make available under that license.  For G.729 specificially we have had 
to make a large investment to make that possible.  The GPL DOES provide 
certain requirements for anyone distributing Asterisk code or derivative 
works, however and this unlicensed version is clearly in violation of 
those obligations.

Why on earth would we try make the even larger investment for legal 
G.723.1 if people are just going to break the law and violate the GPL in 
order to save a few bucks?

If you don't like G.729 because of the patent and licensing issues, then 
don't use it, but if you do want to use G.729, please use it legally, by 
purchasing the Digium licenses, not by breaking the terms of the GPL and 
putting yourself at risk of well established patents (especially if you 
are in a country which honors software patents, since the GPL passes that 
patent responsibility back to you as the end user).

We are happy to make Asterisk available to the community and to continue 
to work hard to expand and develop the product further, but it also 
demands a certain level of discipline from the users at large.  Before you 
download the "free", illegal GPL-violation version of the G.729 codec, 
remember that in doing so you are directly jeopardizing the project at 
large and our ability to continue to provide these sorts of features.

Mark

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004, Steve Underwood wrote:

> Danny Zak wrote:
>
>> Hello TELUX,
>> 
>> could anybody post something more about being legaly correct using
>> this codec and the corresponding "royalty's".
>> 
> It is very difficult to be legally correct with this. The IP holders don't 
> have simple programs for selling licences in small quantities. If you buy 
> licences from Digium, they deal with the IP issues on a larger volume basis. 
> Unless you want to deploy thousands of copies, I doubt you can find a sane 
> legal arrangement for doing it.
>
> Regards,
> Steve
>
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