Re: MTP extensions

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005, Richard Low wrote:

> On 22 Dec 2005, at 18:51, Ace Jones wrote:
>
>> (b)	This license does not include the right to distribute your
>> Licensed Implementation. In order to distribute your Licensed
>> Implementation, you must download the Microsoft Windows Media Transport
>> Porting Kit and accept its license terms.
>
> So... I build my implementation, and to distribute it I must download and 
> accept the terms in the porting kit...

No, I think its like this: you can use this documentation any way you 
like, but IF (and only if) you also download and use the porting kit, you 
must accept the terms for that kit. It's just some extra extra they put 
in... Typical lawyer-lingo.

>> (e)	You must not
>> modify or distribute the source code of any Distributable Code
>> so that any part of it becomes subject to an Excluded License.  An
>> Excluded License is one that requires, as a condition of use,
>> modification or distribution, that
>> .	the code be disclosed or distributed in source code form; or
>> .	others have the right to modify it.
>
> which doesn't apply to any of my code - I'm not using anything in the porting 
> kit (I don't even know what it is).  So when I've downloaded it and accepted 
> its terms, I am now allowed to distribute my implementation.
>
> Is this right?

As far as I can see, yes.

They are giving their extensions away (probably simply because it would 
not be wise not to do that, since it would cripple a standard and they've 
already gotten enough badwill for doing such things) but they do not give 
their reference implementation (a.k.a. "porting kit") away.

> There are also issues of using the enhanced capability, which is needed 
> to have a sensible track listing download time, and if we have to 
> implement the full spec.

Probably you can implement the full spec with no problems.

> There could also be the option of saying that click through licence 
> agreements probably aren't valid (in Europe, not sure about elsewhere), so I 
> haven't agreed to the terms anyway.

You are quite safe from a number of viewpoints I think. This one not the 
least...

Linus


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