Re: [fluid-dev] License question

[David Henningsson]

On 2011-02-18 04:52, S. Christian Collins wrote:
> I have a licensing question about FluidSynth. Let's say I'm creating a
> closed-source DAW, and I want to include a VSTi SoundFont synth based on
> FluidSynth. If I create the VSTi synth as a separate, GPL-licensed
> plugin with available source code, can I sell the DAW software with the
> FluidSynth VSTi bundled?

(This answer is given with the "I am not a lawyer" disclaimer.)

I believe no, because your GPL:ed plugin would interfere with the 
closed-source DAW before even bringing FluidSynth into the picture. As 
Matt pointed out, FluidSynth is LGPL, which makes things not impossible 
but a little tricky. Here are two links that you might find useful:

http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/fluid-dev/2010-10/msg00043.html

http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/fluid-dev/2010-10/msg00045.html

...that is, if ASIO and VST has similar license restrictions, the same 
reasoning would apply.

Let me also point out that if there was a FluidSynth VSTi, that would be 
a very nice addition to FluidSynth!

// David