In recent developments, initial texts of the multimedia player Winamp have come under scrutiny for allegedly using code distributed under the GPL and LGPL licenses. The discovery revealed that Winamp’s code contained files such as fir_proc.cpp, the blademp3 encoder, the in_vorbis plugin, and components of GNU Bison Parsers all distributed under the GPL license. Additionally, changes were made to code libraries like libdiscid 0.6.2, distributed under the LGPLv2.1 license.
GPL and LGPL are licenses that dictate the distribution of work under specific conditions. The GPL requires works to be distributed under the same conditions, while the LGPL allows connecting code with projects under incompatible licenses without the right to distribute modified code without changing the resulting product’s license.
The initial texts of Winamp are licensed under the proprietary Winamp Collaborative License (WCL), which prohibits creating forks and distributing modified versions. This means that Winamp cannot use GPL code without changing its own license. Some code and plugins have already been removed from the repository, but certain files still remain. Additionally, old Winamp assemblies dated April 26, 2023 are still being distributed on the official website, potentially containing components licensed under the GPL.
Enthusiasts have suggested leveraging the viral nature of the GPL license to make all code available under the GPL, disregarding the proprietary license. This has sparked debates and discussions within the community regarding the legality and ethics of such actions.
These issues are not the only ones facing the Winamp code release, as oversight and further potential violations have been identified in the repository. The ongoing developments continue to raise questions about licensing, open-source practices, and the implications for the Winamp project moving forward.