Re: [Ring] Ring on App Store?

[Greg Troxel]

Dennis Schüßler <address@hidden> writes:

> But I am concerned about the GPL licensing. As far as I understand
> GPL-licensed apps can not be distributed via the App Store. So
> Non-Tech-savvy-iPhone users will not be able to use Ring on their
> iPhones, which in turn disqualifies Ring as a WhatsApp replacement.

An alternative view is that some are very concerned about Apple's terms
which do not permit Free Software to be used on iOS devices -- basically
the view that the GPL is fine and the problem is Apple.  (Yes, I know
that BSD-licensed software can be sent to Apple's store, but when it
comes out and is installed on an iOS device it is no longer Free.)

> So my question is: Is widespread distribution even in the scope of the
> project? I would like to encourage a discussion on dual
> licensing. From my limited understanding of the issue, dual licensing
> would make it possible to distribute Ring via the App Store and
> therefore position Ring as a serious WhatsApp competitor, which in
> turn would make open source, distributed, end-to-end-encrypted, multi
> device VoIP messaging suitable for the needs of the masses. I don’t
> know any project to date accomplishing this feat.

There's a separate issue lurking behind your question: is Ring a
protocol specfication or a program?  Right now it's both, and that's a
bug.  With a clear protocol specification, there could be multiple
indepdendent interoperable implementations.  So if someone wanted to
create an iOS app (perhaps non-copylefted Free Software, before entering
the Apple store), then that would be doable.

Perhaps an existing program such as LinPhone that already has
non-copyleft licensing could just add support for the Ring extensions to
SIP.

> I understand that the iOS client is in its early stages, but as every
> contributor would have to agree to a license change I’d like to start
> the discussion as early as possible.

Ring is now a GNU project.  I wonder then, if one has to sign copyright
assignment papers to the FSF, or if contributions are under a simple
inbound=outbound license (not all GNU projects are assigned), or if
there are some other terms (CLA?).  I looked on ring.cx and could not
figure this out.

I would expect the FSF to take a dim view of avoiding copyleft to
accomodate Apple's unwillingness to distribute Free Software.

All that said, the struggle to bring privacy tools to the masses and the
struggle for Software Freedom sometimes do not line up.  But in the long
term, I do not see that privacy is possible without Software Freedom.

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