[LAD] Github DCMA takedown notice - VeSTige header

[Robin Gareus]

On 06/05/2018 09:45 AM, Filipe Coelho wrote:
> On 05.06.2018 01:18, Robin Gareus wrote:
>> Hi LADs,
>>
>> I was contacted earlier today by GitHub with a DCMA request from
>> Steinberg.net to remove the aeffectx.h from VeSTige. [1]
> 
> Oh wow, incredible timing with Microsoft buy out.

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

> Do you think renaming aeffectx.h will be enough?

The filename does match a filename of the official Steinberg VST SDK.
I've added a disclaimer and clarified that is vestige.

It may well be that this is part of a larger outreach. grep all of
github for plugins that ship aeffectx.h.

If you the DCMA notice carefully, you'll fine that they did not even
follow github's guide to do so. It may well be some semi-automated process.

I guess we'll find out, the 24h will expire 21:55 CEST today.

> It is their API, which they might feel entitled to sue over.

Only in the US of A. APIs are not (C) in the EU.
The vestige header is a pure API without any implementation.

>> I have no idea why Steinberg would target this rather low profile
>> project, but there you go.
> 
> Likely because of the name. lv2vst sounds "dangerous" :P
> 
> Sadly, if they insist on this, it will only be trouble for opensource
> applications.
> Ardour, Qtractor, Carla, MusE, LMMS and others all use this vestige
> header... making it "illegal" would mean our beloved tools will simply
> drop VST support.

Those are hosts though. Except for Carla which can be both.

> This is now how they convince developers to change to VST3 at all...

If this is indeed only about plugin (not hosts), then this would explain
it. I am curious if other plugin authors also received a notice.

For hosts, I would be able to ignore the fact the VST3 SDK is a
kitchen-sink and with a bad conscience also tolerate UTF-16, but VSTGUI4
depending on GTK on Linux is a no-go.

> rather, just makes me want to remove all VST related things from my
> system, damn bastards.

LV2 FTW!
robin