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License terms
User: Jay
Date: 3/16/2011 7:57 pm
Views: 4396
Rating: 2

Hello,

I'm working with a closed source app (unfortunately) which has no chance to be licensed under GPL/BSD/etc.  We'd like to include the Sphinx4 engine (which is ok by BSD license) as well as an unmodified binary of a Voxforge acoustic model.

The setup is like this:
Commercial App (closed source)

=> Calls external Sphinx4 binary (BSD)

==> Loads external Voxforge model (GPL)

Not being a lawyer, my understanding was that if we did not make any changes to the Voxforge model or sources (strictly unmodified binary form), and we did not incorporate anything from the Voxforge "code" into our code, then the GPL clause would be satisfied.

However, this post:

http://voxforge.org/home/forums/message-boards/general-discussion/gpl-on-audio-files#QtHboEDAJJ39DSw1XkND8A

seems to imply that by distributing a Voxforge binary with our app, the entire application (including Sphinx4) would have to be GPL??

By this argument, Sphinx4 would be in violation since they are distributing Voxforge models but Sphinx4 is not under GPL license:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/cmusphinx/files/Acoustic%20and%20Language%20Models/

Can anybody help clarify?  If it doesn't work out with Voxforge then we have some other options but I would like to consider using it if possible.

Thanks!

--- (Edited on 3/16/2011 7:57 pm [GMT-0500] by Visitor) ---

Re: License terms
User: kmaclean
Date: 3/17/2011 5:02 pm
Views: 1900
Rating: 3

>this post: ...  seems to imply that by distributing a Voxforge

>binary with our app, the entire application (including Sphinx4)

>would have to be GPL??

that is my understanding too.

> Sphinx4 would be in violation since they are distributing

>Voxforge models but Sphinx4 is not under GPL license:

Sphinx 4 is distributed under a BSD license, which is compatible with the GPL.

Ken

P.S. I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice

 

 

--- (Edited on 3/17/2011 6:02 pm [GMT-0400] by kmaclean) ---

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