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I don't understand how Guardian were unable to obtain a license to use Signal/Axolotl in Chatsecure. The libraries on Github are GPL3, is there some missing IP
by mbakke 10y ago
I don't understand how Guardian were unable to obtain a license to use Signal/Axolotl in Chatsecure. The libraries on Github are GPL3, is there some missing IP I'm not aware of?
Also it saddens me that LibreSignal is effectively dead now, along with any future third-party clients. I think forking the Signal server and (later) adding federation could spark a community of free and secure messenger apps for the 21st century.
Even if that means starting with an empty user base. After all, most of my contacts with Signal only ever use it to contact me, it wouldn't be difficult to convince them to change app.
- pseudalopex 10y agoApple imposes usage rules on software downloaded from the App Store. The GPL doesn't allow this, so Open Whisper Systems would have to offer different terms.
- dlmetcalf 10y agoThis is probably what made me double-take the most. I don't understand why Guardian were denied permission to use the code. Sure, OWS aren't under any obligation to, but it doesn't really feel like it's in the spirit of openness at all. The code might be 'open source', but it's neither free as in user freedom or beer, unless you're giving Facebook or Google your metadata now. If the code can't be reused, it's pretty hard for users to move to something else. Unless that something else is totally starting over again from scratch. It just feels weird that because of the Apple situation, in this case the GPL appears to work directly against user freedom. I think a lot of people have been taken by surprise by that, to discover the platform is not what they thought it was.