VLC iOS developers fight back

Two and a half months after VLC core developer Rémi Denis-Courmont submitted an infringement of copyright complaint, Apple has removed the iOS version of VLC Media Player from its App Store. Apple is now reported to have told Applidium, the team responsible for porting the open source media player to iOS, that the application was removed because the dispute between the parties involved could not be amicably resolved.

Apple invited Applidium to contact Rémi Denis-Courmont, directly should it have any further questions relating to the matter. Denis-Courmont had previously told Planet VideoLAN that he thought it likely that VLC was removed because Apple could not abide having software distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) in the App Store. It is not clear why so much time elapsed between Denis-Courmont's complaint being received and the decision to remove the app.

Applidium continues to believe that App Store licensing conditions are compatible with GLPv2, under which VLC media player is released and was somewhat surprised when Denis-Courmont raised the question of compatibility between the Apple App Store licence and GPL, particularly because VideoLAN members had helped port VLC to iOS. The Applidium statement adds, "Therefore, together with the VideoLAN association, we’ll do our best to not let this be the end of VLC / iOS."

Users who have jailbroken their iOS devices can still obtain the VLC media player from alternative app directory Cydia.

See also:

• VLC Media Player removed from Apple's iOS App Store, a report from The H.

(crve)