Re: [Gnash] Gnash cannot legally play animations created with MM tools?

[Rob Savoye]

Udo Giacomozzi wrote:

> Can you explain this further? What means "work on Flash technologies"?

  I'm not a laywer. :-) I just printed out that link to the EULA, I should
probably have a real lawyer read it.

> There is only one interesting statement:
> "You shall not use the Software to develop any product having the same
> primary function as the Software."

  I believe that's one of the clauses people refer to. I've also been
told there is a reverse engineering clause, although maybe this is the
same thing.

  I guess the big question is how to define "using the software to
develop a similar product". I interpret this as meaning you can't use
Adobe tools at all, neither the IDE, nor the commercial plugin and
player. Maybe that's too restrictive, but that's the philosophy I've
been following.

> Untrue. I *do* use and have buyed the IDE. Why shouldn't I? After all
> our (our company's) goal is to use Gnash as an player for embedded

  I'm going to be more than a little upset if I'm forced to back out all
the AGG work. :-( Now I do have to go find a lawyer, unless Adobe
decides to supply us with their interpretation of the EULA, and how it
applies to developers of Flash technology. This also means I can't now
do the 0.7.32 release with AGG included until we have a definite legal
opinion. We would have to have gone through this process eventually, but
now I have to do it right away... Most of my other thoughts on this
right now are all four letter words not suitable for a public email list.

  Personally, I believe Adobe has got their head on right when it comes
to Open Source, whereas MacroMedia never did. So my assumption is it's
potentially OK to use the Flash IDE and still work on Gnash. Me, I've
only used Ming to generate Flash movies.

> Agree. BTW, we *tried* to get a commercial licence for the embedded
> Flash player, which would also have been a reason to switch the device
> processor to something Flash-supported. But it appears you simply can

  I've heard many horror stories from companies that wanted to license
Flash for an embedded device. I assume a multi-million dollar fee is
just a polite way of Adobe telling companies to go away and not bother
them, and if you're serious, then cough up the big bucks...

        - rob -