[fratido]

Allright - it's GPL licensed. So Apple violates the GPL everytime someone loads the app from the App Store, because of their "you're not allowed to redistribute the app" rule. This was the reason why VLC got pulled from the App Store, I'm wondering how long they will hold up...

[naner]

If the Prey Project owns the copyright for their code they can have the code released as GPL on github and an "All Rights Reserved" compiled binary in the iOS app store.

I doubt this is what they do and accepting outside contributions would be problematic, but if they retain they copyright they can do whatever they want.

Also, the GPL doesn't say you have to allow redistribution of the compiled application, just the code IIRC.

[gte910h]

>Also, the GPL doesn't say you have to allow redistribution of the compiled application, just the code IIRC.

Incorrect:

3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

[drzaiusapelord]

I don't know what version of the GPL they are licensed but all they need to do is release their code and they are compliant. I think VLC didn't like the DRM wrapper around their software (or whatever Apple does), demanded the code for it, and were told no. If I can take the code and compile the software, then I'm good. I don't need to app store code to make it work.

You can have GPL'd apps in the app store. The VLC guys are just more demanding than the license itself. I guess there could be some issue with GPL3 and its DRM restrictions, but this should work with GPL2.

[dedward]

A quick browse of the code shows mostly code that appears written by the Prey developers (Fork Ltd.), and a few BSD licensed libs.

Assuming that's the case, they are free to release the code under as many licenses as they want (as long as they don't violate the BSD parts) - it's their code. They can release a GPLv3 version to the public and still publish to Apple. The copyright holder is not bound by the GPL if he releases his own code under GPL.... he already has all those rights, and more.

[dtorres]

There is a lot of open sourced apps in the App Store, so i'm guessing is not.

[falling]

VLC was pulled because one of the copyright holders complained about the additional restrictions the App Store license adds to the code.

In this case, assuming all the copyright holders agree, they own it and can do whatever they want with the code. It effectively is code with a double license: GPL and the App Store's EULA. In VLC's case, the author didn't want his code distributed under the other license.