[linux-audio-user] sf2 soundfont spec license

[Lee Revell]

On Thu, 2005-03-10 at 22:03 +0000, james at dis-dot-dat.net wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Mar, 2005 at 04:51PM -0500, Lee Revell spake thus:
> > On Thu, 2005-03-10 at 15:50 -0500, John Check wrote:
> > > > One could also make the interpretation that circulating it within the
> > > > development community constitutes "internal".
> > > > However, Mark's original email didn't supply sufficient background
> > > > WRT to the standards origin. Is there sufficient legal structure behind it?
> > > > IOW is it from a corporate structure with resources to make trouble?
> > > 
> > > In the tradition of replying to my own questions:
> > > 
> > > whois soundfont.comRegistrant:
> > > CREATIVE LABS, INC. (SOUNDFONT-DOM)
> > >    1901 MCCARTHY BLVD
> > >    MILPITAS, CA 95035-7427
> > >    US
> > > 
> > >    Domain Name: SOUNDFONT.COM
> > > 
> > >    Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
> > >       Marketing, Internet  (YTEYTUZMFI)         
> > > domainregadmin at creativelabs.com
> > >       Creative Labs, Inc.
> > >       1901 McCarthy Blvd
> > >       Milpitas, CA 95035-7427
> > >       US
> > >       408-428-6600
> > > 
> > > DOH!
> > > 
> > 
> > I don't think this is a problem.  Creative has never come after anyone
> > for making and distributing their own soundfonts.  They seem to have
> > taken a hands-off attitude towards open source.
> 
> Well, they make it clear that the sf format is open.  The problem is
> that they seem to have a license for the actual *spec document* that
> is at best vague and at worst restrictive.
> 
> So, if we don't hear from them, we'll just have to pass the link to
> the document around rather than the document itself.
> 
> I have a link to it (along with other relevent stuff) at
> http://dis-dot-dat.net/sfstuff/
> 
> Anyone with any other articles/software/libraries/whatever that would
> be useful to list, please let me know.  I suppose it's kind of like a
> shared reference library.

Yesm but there are many, many other standards (real standards, as ion
ISO) implemented by open source software where the spec itself is not
free.  For example I don't even think the POSIX spec can be freely
downloaded.

Lee