Subject: RE: using freePATs in LGPL product?
Date: Friday 02 September 2005 05:08
From: "Andrey Masleyev" 
To: "'Mark Constable'" 

Hi Mark,

THANKS!!!

BTW, my product is called Tales Animator (http://www.dollysoft.com). This is
a really easy to use animation tool. It is currently freeware but it will
become shareware after the next release. Though it will always be free for
educational use (I know at least 5 school teachers using TA) and all
contributors (everybody will be able to contribute their graphics, music,
screenplays and get a free license). Next version will have viedo
editing/cutting functionality, export to dvd and it will play midi files. It
will use timidity as a dll (under LGPL).

I do not want to include all 30MB of samples into default Tales Animator
package which is currently only 3MB. So I created a small patchset based on
FreePATs (2.5MB). It works great on all my midies. It is available here:

http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/smallpats.zip

Please let me know if you feel that I am violating your or somebody's rights
here. I want TA to be absolutely legal. Yesterday I have created my own
patchset using public domain samples (it is only 500MB) but I definitely
prefer your patches :-). My patches available here and can be used by
everybody for any purpose without limitations:

http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/dollypats.zip

Thank you for you great job!!!
Andrey.



-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Constable [mailto:markc@renta.net] 
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 8:50 AM
To: Andrey Masleyev
Subject: Re: using freePATs in LGPL product?

On Thursday 25 August 2005 03:01, Andrey Masleyev wrote:
> I am thinking of using timidity midi2wav converter in my project. I 
> know that timidity (not timidity++) can be used under LGPL. I wonder 
> if I can I use your PATs in my project together with timidity under LGPL?

I think so, to quote the exception from the license...

 As a special exception, if you create a composition which uses  these
patches, and mix these patches or unaltered portions of  these patches into
the composition, these patches do not by  themselves cause the resulting
composition to be covered by the  GNU General Public License. This exception
does not however  invalidate any other reasons why the document might be
covered  by the GNU General Public License. If you modify these patches,
you may extend this exception to your version of the patches,  but you are
not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so,  delete this exception
statement from your version.

If you take "mix these patches" into a software project then I think it is
fair that the resulting software project is not bound by the GPL.

> I know that freePATs are released under GPL. But what does this mean? 
> Do I need to open my c++ sources if I use patches or I just need to 
> make available all changes in patches? I am not planning to change PATs.

Just make available all changes to the patches, preferably back to this site
so other folks can take advantage of any improvements.
 
> Thank you for your great job anyway!!!

We wish that freepats were more complete so if you happen to make any
improvements or have any suggestions please don't hesitate to say so.

Sorry for taking so long to respond.

--markc