VideoLAN
VideoLAN & VLC how to maintain a free project targeted by lobbyists
Jean-Baptiste Kempf
jeudi 30 octobre 2014
Ecole Centrale Paris
VideoLAN
VLC
Volunteers
The Cone
1 every 6 MacTop 15 Windows
900 000 per day
More than 1.5B over VLC life time
Most used French software
VLC
30 oct. 2014 Jean-Baptiste Kempf 11
VLC
Le « poil à gratter »
DRMs➣ Playback of DVDs, Blu-Rays➣ DVB-CSA➣ Hadopi
Patents➢ MPEG-LA➢ Dolby, DTS
Annoying➢ Rarely invited to conferences➢ French pouvoirs publics (lol)
30 oct. 2014 Jean-Baptiste Kempf 12
DRMs
DRM➢ Broken by design➢ Control of the distribution
➢ Pressure➢ Playback open the DRM→
DVD➢ libdvdcss➢ EUCD / DADVSI➢ Arrêt du conseil d'État➢ ARMT
VideoLAN et HADOPI
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Hadopi
DRM regulator in France➢ ARMT➢ Has no idea what they speak about
Different kind of saisines➢ Contentieux one specific DRM➢ Generic question about DRM law and application
French law➢ You can circumvent DRM, in order to achieve interoperability,
without limiting the authors rights
Hadopi Questions
Request of a generic Hadopi saisine :● What are the conditions to share the keys ?● What are the conditions that can be imposed on us by
copyright holders (HDCP) ?● Can we distribute :
– Source code of DRM library?
– Static build of DRM library in a player?
– Shared object of DRM library ?
– Keys ?
Hadopi Answer
● 17 months to get an answer– Legal 3 months
– Pressure with public question in Assemblée Nationale and press
– Vague meetings and repeated lies about delays
● The answers are :– For the keys, you should ask Sony, and create a contentieux
– Keys are not part of the source code
– …
– No answer on any of the important questions asked
● Back meetings with AACS-LA, Sony– Lies and document not shared
Codecs
Codecs– Heavily patented
● Including base math● Very expensive to licence● Numerous patents → Cartel of exchange
– Very aggressive● Dolby, DTS● MPEG-LA
– Not valid in France (EU)!
Dolby Lobby
● Used everywhere– Dolby Digital
● DVD, Blu-ray, TNT
– Dolby-E
● Dolby Digital (AC-3)
– DVB and ATSC spec– ETSI
– is MANDATED by the CSA
● Heavily Lobbied– E-AC3 in France, thanks to Canal+ (reduced fees from Dolby)
– All profesional products have Dolby-E
Dolby Scam
The Dolby Scam● One licence only
– IP : codec implementation, patents, certification, logo
● No way to license only the patents– 20 years !
– Refusal to share patents list
– No respect of DVB or ETSI obligations
● Use of DMCA and LCEN– Because IP !
● Everyone is scared– Except the CSA :)
