Am I allowed to manually remove the branding?

  • Resolved tiotrom

    (@tiotrom)


    5 years, 4 months ago

    Since this is labeled as Open Source software, is it ok to manually remove the branding from the free version and use it like that?

    • This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by tiotrom.
    • This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by tiotrom.
Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • Hi Tio,

    FV Player uses the Flowplayer engine (we also contribute to the code base), licensed under GPLv3. We have also paid four figures for a commercial license which allows us to remove the branding but sadly only for paid users.

    According to Flowplayer and the WordPress plugin moderators, specifically Otto, Flowplayer’s modification of the GPL license is okay and they are allowed to insist on front-end credit. FV Player was removed from the WordPress plugin repository for removing that front-end branding in 2011. FV Player was only reinstated when we put back the Flowplayer branding in the front end.

    I strongly disagree with this exception to the GPL. The original developers from Flowplayer also contributed heavily to jQuery so it’s probably a behind-the-scenes deal between buddies to prevent us from offering a free video player at the time.

    Any use of Flowplayer code without their front-end branding, they consider a violation of their purportedly GPL license. Personally I think it’s ludicrous. Welcome to how FOSS works done behind-the-scenes at WordPress.

    Cheers, Alec

    Thread Starter tiotrom

    (@tiotrom)

    “FV Player was removed from the WordPress plugin repository for removing that front-end branding in 2011. ” – Oh…it is ludicrous. Thank you very much for both your explanation and your clear reasoning. It sucks to see such thing happening behind the scenes withing the Open Source communities…Thanks again Alec.

    Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    Am I allowed to manually remove the branding?

    Yes, you are 100% permitted to edit any plugin available on this site. That’s the whole point of all this GPL code and you can make any changes including any branding.

    Anyone representing otherwise is wrong.

    Now claiming copyright on someone else’s code? That’s never permitted but that’s not branding.

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Jan Dembowski.
    Thread Starter tiotrom

    (@tiotrom)

    Jan this sounds encouraging and fair. Thank you for clearing things up!

    Hi Tio,

    There was never a question about claiming copyright on someone else’s code. Otto removed FV Player from the plugin repository when we took out the front end logo branding from Flowplayer. Once we put in the (in my opinion) GPL incompatible front end branding, FV Player was allowed back in. I’ve linked to the documents on Flowplayer.org site, where they attempt to argue for their right to this “special” modification of the GPL.

    My message was the accurate one. Let’s wait for Jan Dembowski to close the thread as the events are embarrassing to www.ads-software.com. Otto was the point man on this, not Jan. I would be surprised if Jan even has access to the original correspondence.

    Cheers, Alec

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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