Copyright Infringement Claim Filed to Apple Over VLC
Do you like VLC on your iPhone or iPad? You don't yet have it installed, but want to? Well, then you'd better be quick about it, as some VLC contributors are unhappy with the fact that VLC is distributed through Apple's App Store, violating the GPL the video player is licensed under. At least, that's what some think.
It's a conundrum. Sure, publishing your application in Apple's App Store helps spread your work, but Apple places additional restrictions through the App Store terms of service, which is in direct violation of the GPL, and therefore, a copyright violation. I don't think I need to remind you that in all cases - all of them - where the GPL went to court, the GPL was upheld. No matter the country.
But is it really a GPL violation? The sources can still be downloaded somewhere else, and the VLC application has an about box with information on where to get the source code. Originally, the issue was that Apple placed their own terms of services as an addition to any existing licenses which may be governing an application; they later changed this so that the original license remains applicable, without Apple's additional restrictions.
