TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS • Hacker News Board

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#51

Post by r1ch » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:34 PM UTC

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #5

The original Tweet (embedded one from HunterAP) says TikTok installs OBS and uses it in the background with a TikTok front-end. It doesn’t say that they’ve illegally forked it. EDIT: See comments from OBS developer below for a more clear explanation of the issues than the linked Tweet

OBS developer here. It doesn't "install OBS in the background". They ship several executables as part of their software that contain code derived from OBS and there is no offer of source code. They're currently in violation of the GPL, but per our GPL Cooperation Commitment we are trying to work this out with them privately.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#52

Post by r1ch » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:35 PM UTC

pineconewarrior wrote: post #31

the-dude wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did StreamLabs violate the GPL?

The OBS project has accused StreamLabs of copying their name and stealing their trademark (By naming their software StreamLabs OBS). I'm not sure about any source code thievery.

Streamlabs violated OBS' trademarks, their fork has always complied with the GPL.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#53

Post by platz » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:39 PM UTC

andrew_ wrote: post #38

I'd like to see HN shy away from posting twitter threads as news. There's almost always a hard link to the source material, and twitter threads are filled with emotional, truncated, nuance-lacking, trite clips that more often than not do little to promote healthy discussion of a topic. The goal of quality here really is noble.

sometimes thats where the news is

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#54

Post by jaywalk » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:40 PM UTC

sergiotapia wrote: post #49

Hope there is a multi-million dollar pay-off for OBS.

OBS is willing to work with TikTok to get them into compliance. That would either mean open-sourcing the software or paying for a license.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#55

Post by endisneigh » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:40 PM UTC

People expecting OBS to get millions from this are naïve. Almost certainly TikTok will change the software to just use OBS independently to avoid the issue.

If OBS wants money they should use a dual license.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#56

Post by platz » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:41 PM UTC

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #5

The original Tweet (embedded one from HunterAP) says TikTok installs OBS and uses it in the background with a TikTok front-end. It doesn’t say that they’ve illegally forked it. EDIT: See comments from OBS developer below for a more clear explanation of the issues than the linked Tweet

the developer installs obs and copies its dlls into a new app, not the user.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#57

Post by oalessandr » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:42 PM UTC

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

The EFF lost all credibility by jumping into the crypto bandwagon

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#58

Post by mrweasel » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:42 PM UTC

Are they technically obligated to provide the source code online, or could they just say: "Well it's available on request, and no one has done so"? The just mail out a USB stick or DVD to anyone who asks?

I believe that's with in the limits of the GPLv2.

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#59

Post by EGreg » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:43 PM UTC

Some people on HN make fun of “code is law”, but in this the “law about code” is hardly enforceable internationally. Putting the snark aside - let’s at the broader picture !

Web disrupted journalism, cable, tv, radio, magazines, newspapers and made it permissionless across geographic boundaries

Smart contracts can do the same for finance, voting, banking, legal enforcement and more

The question here is, can we enforce copyright without the threat of force (like SWAT teams taking down a grandma or Kim DotCom)

And do we need artificial scarcity at all, as seems to be the case now with NFTs and metaverse?

These are major topics andI can’t do them justice in a small text comment. For whoever is interested, explored these topics and Internet economics in our recent episode of the Intercoin Show:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=72kaDtfuIG4

If you don’t want to have scarcity for digital content but still want to get paid at scale, here is another approach that is completely web based: https://qbix.com/token

Ignore the token part and look at the iframes part. Would love feedback:

Re: TikTok streaming software is an illegal fork of OBS

#60

Post by bilbo0s » Fri, Dec 17, 2021, 3:43 PM UTC

jaywalk wrote: post #54

sergiotapia wrote: post #49

Hope there is a multi-million dollar pay-off for OBS.

OBS is willing to work with TikTok to get them into compliance. That would either mean open-sourcing the software or paying for a license.

At this point, it's not even clear to me that paying would rectify the legal issue with respect to the GPL. It's an amalgamation of source contributions over time. Any one contributor could, in theory, refuse any consideration other than an open sourcing of the software.

Of course, now I think about it, that could be an easy problem to fix. They say every man has a number.