bug#58147: FAAC considered nonfree by Debian and Parabola

bug#58147: FAAC considered nonfree by Debian and Parabola

[Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli]

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Hi,

The faac package is considered nonfree in Debian[1] and also in
Parabola because according to the Parabola blacklist faac "is a GPL'ed
package, but has non free code that can't be distributed under the
GPL"[2].

The path chosen by Parabola (and probably most other FSDG compliant or
100% free distributions) was to make the packages not depend on
faac. 

A quick search in the Parabola packages list[3] can show some of the
packages having been (re)built without faac support[4].

Reference:
----------
[1]https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/faac
[2]https://git.parabola.nu/blacklist.git/tree/blacklist.txt#n104
[3]https://www.parabola.nu/packages/?sort=&arch=x86_64&repo=Libre&q=faac&maintainer=&flagged=
[4]Parabola uses most Arch Linux packages as-is, and it excludes
   problematic packages and/or replaces problematic packages. This is
   why some of the replacement packages mention "without nonfree faac".

Denis.

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bug#58147: FAAC considered nonfree by Debian and Parabola

[Liliana Marie Prikler]

Am Mittwoch, dem 28.09.2022 um 19:12 +0200 schrieb Denis 'GNUtoo'
Carikli:
> Hi,
> 
> The faac package is considered nonfree in Debian[1] and also in
> Parabola because according to the Parabola blacklist faac "is a
> GPL'ed package, but has non free code that can't be distributed under
> the GPL"[2].
> 
> The path chosen by Parabola (and probably most other FSDG compliant
> or 100% free distributions) was to make the packages not depend on
> faac. 
Assuming one can clearly point out the non-free sources, the Guix way
would be removing those.  If they can't easily be separated, then yeah,
it has to go.

> A quick search in the Parabola packages list[3] can show some of the
> packages having been (re)built without faac support[4].
A list of packages relevant in Guix can be given using `guix refresh -l
faac'.


Cheers

bug#58147: FAAC considered nonfree by Debian and Parabola

[Mark H Weaver]

Liliana Marie Prikler <liliana.prikler@gmail.com> writes:

> Am Mittwoch, dem 28.09.2022 um 19:12 +0200 schrieb Denis 'GNUtoo'
> Carikli:
>> The path chosen by Parabola (and probably most other FSDG compliant
>> or 100% free distributions) was to make the packages not depend on
>> faac. 
> Assuming one can clearly point out the non-free sources, the Guix way
> would be removing those.  If they can't easily be separated, then yeah,
> it has to go.

The details are documented here:

  <https://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs//non-free/f/faac/faac_1.30-1_copyright>

Here's the relevant excerpt:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Files: libfaac/bitstream.*
       libfaac/channels.c
       libfaac/filtbank.c
       libfaac/tns.*
Copyright: © 1996-1997
License: other
 This software module was originally developed in the course of
 development of the MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio standard ISO/IEC 13818-7,
 14496-1,2 and 3. This software module is an implementation of a part of
 one or more MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio tools as specified by the MPEG-2
 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio standard. ISO/IEC gives users of the MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4
 Audio standards free license to this software module or modifications
 thereof for use in hardware or software products claiming conformance
 to the MPEG-2 NBC/ MPEG-4 Audio standards. Those intending to use this
 software module in hardware or software products are advised that this
 use may infringe existing patents. The original developer of this
 software module and his/her company, the subsequent editors and their
 companies, and ISO/IEC have no liability for use of this software
 module or modifications thereof in an implementation. Copyright is not
 released for non MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio conforming products. The
 original developer retains full right to use the code for his/her own
 purpose, assign or donate the code to a third party and to inhibit
 third party from using the code for non MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio
 conforming products. This copyright notice must be included in all
 copies or derivative works.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I also confirmed by looking at the indicated source files in the result
of "guix build -S faac".  Not only do these copying permission notices
fail to grant the freedoms required by the free software definition, but
they explicitly say: "The original developer retains full right [...] to
inhibit third party from using the code for non MPEG-2 NBC/MPEG-4 Audio
conforming products."  That clearly contradicts freedom 0.

Based on the file names, I very much doubt that this library works at
all without the nonfree source files.  Therefore, we must remove the
'faac' package from Guix.

      Thanks,
        Mark

-- 
Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice
but very few check the facts.  Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

bug#58147: FAAC considered nonfree by Debian and Parabola

[Liliana Marie Prikler]

Am Mittwoch, dem 28.09.2022 um 18:41 -0400 schrieb Mark H Weaver:
> Based on the file names, I very much doubt that this library works at
> all without the nonfree source files.  Therefore, we must remove the
> 'faac' package from Guix.
> 
>       Thanks,
>         Mark
Took me long enough, but I now removed it.

Cheers