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TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

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Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#41

Post by tomcooks »

Liquix wrote: post #24
AustinDev wrote: post #20

So people that have ripped off OBS so far and violated GPL include TikTok, StreamLabs (Logitech), and StreamElements. Any other people I missed?

Hopefully this is high profile enough to incur some consequences. GPL is ironclad on paper, but the sad reality is unscrupulous/international companies can and do just copy code directly off github into their products with no repercussions

Consider donating to the EFF as a Christmas present to yourself

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#42

Post by randomluck040 »

wizzwizz4 wrote: post #37
libeclipse wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not plausible

Hey, just because it would get laughed out of court, that doesn't mean they can't claim it!

I‘m not so sure about it being laughed out of court unfortunately.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#43

Post by _fat_santa »

lucasyvas wrote: post #34

In almost all cases, TikTok's offering would be considered a derived work because you cannot swap out the OBS part for another and still have it work. So they are likely in full violation unless they agree to open source all their code. Seems like a pretty open and shut case to be honest - that is, if they intend to pursue legal action and the powers that be rule appropriately.

Like others have said though, any derivative works of OBS must also contain the same GPL License. It was pointed out in that thread that Reddit also forked OBS for their live steaming but they didn't get into hot water because they followed the rules and open sourced their software like the License required them to.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#46

Post by reedciccio »

tomcooks wrote: post #41
Liquix wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hopefully this is high profile enough to incur some consequences. GPL is ironclad on paper, but the sad reality is unscrupulous/international companies can and do just copy code directly off github into their products with no repercussions

Consider donating to the EFF as a Christmas present to yourself

eff doesn't do license enforcement. Software freedom conservancy is the organization to support in this case: https://sfconservancy.org/

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#48

Post by donkeyd »

randomluck040 wrote: post #42
wizzwizz4 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, just because it would get laughed out of court, that doesn't mean they can't claim it!

I‘m not so sure about it being laughed out of court unfortunately.

Can concur, courts don't know jack about tech and have to rely on experts that aren't always independent.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#50

Post by wongarsu »

Liquix wrote: post #24
AustinDev wrote: post #20

So people that have ripped off OBS so far and violated GPL include TikTok, StreamLabs (Logitech), and StreamElements. Any other people I missed?

Hopefully this is high profile enough to incur some consequences. GPL is ironclad on paper, but the sad reality is unscrupulous/international companies can and do just copy code directly off github into their products with no repercussions

Unless a major contributor of OBS sues, nothing will come of it. That's unfortunately very rare, the only one doing that with any frequency seems to be Harald Welte (one of the iptables developers) [1]

1: https://wiki.fsfe.org/Migrated/GPL%20Enforcement%20Cases#Wel...

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