Skype videoconferencing integration development

Hello all,

Thank you all for the positive replies.
The project is still alive ( and kicking ) but was a little bit on hold since I was really busy with my studies ( doing projects that I get grades for ).
From coding perspective I have a plan on how to complete it, however I'm still concerned about the legal aspect ( Skype distributions terms ) if anyone has any inputs on this ( or want to join the development ) you are really welcome to comment.

Thanks,
Amit

I think this one has probably died. It seems to be the holy grail. I suppose you could set something up with eventghost to pause and play, and have skype running in the background possibly....

amitn; i don't think there's an distribution issues here as there's a socket sitting between. you wouldn't have to distribute skype right? you'd just tap into whatever client is already on the system ?

@spiff, what you are referring to is the "Desktop API", I'm using the "SkypeKit" which is a C++ API, ( I could not find how to get the video buffer from the Desktop API).
The SkypeKit is like a standalone Skype that enables developers to add Skype functionality to their applications. However developers need to comply with SkypeKit distributions terms.

I have two problems with the distributions terms:

1. Licence H.264 codec from http://www.mpegla.com/
2. Since XBMC is GPL I need to make sure that the Skype module will be kept close and Skype will not need to open the SkypeKit API to the public. I have little to no experience in doing so.
   

Amit

(2012-05-02 21:35)amitn Wrote:  The SkypeKit is like a standalone Skype that enables developers to add Skype functionality to their applications. However developers need to comply with SkypeKit distributions terms.

I have two problems with the distributions terms:

1. Since XBMC is GPL I need to make sure that the Skype module will be kept close and Skype will not need to open the SkypeKit API to the public. I have little to no experience in doing so.
   

These are practically the same Terms of Use distribution license concerns that Akezeke have regarding his SpotyXBMC2 addon integration development, right?

http://github.com/akezeke/spotyxbmc2#readme

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=67012

SpotyXBMC2 uses libspotify C API package the same way to allow third-party developers to write applications that utilize the Spotify music streaming service.

https://developer.spotify.com/technologi...se-non-us/

http://developer.skype.com/certify-marke...rms-of-use

Since XBMC itself does not yet support binary addons where there is a socket sitting in between, developers have to embed this type of into XBMC today

(2012-05-02 21:35)amitn Wrote:  Licence H.264 codec from http://www.mpegla.com/

The codec license for decoding H.264 video should only be an issue for those who distribute XBMC for commercial use, like for example Boxee does.

If however H.264 encoding is required then XBMC would probably have to use legal counsel to sign an non-profit exemption agreement with MPEG-LA.

VideoLAN claim x264 encoder is free to use under GPL but they forget about software patents http://www.videolan.org/developers/x264.html

Hi,

(2012-05-03 16:03)RockerC Wrote:  These are practically the same Terms of Use distribution license concerns that Akezeke have regarding his SpotyXBMC2 addon integration development, right?

I wasn't aware about SpotyXBMC2, I need to look more in to it, but at first look it is seems that there aren't any binary versions of SoptyXBMC, you need to register a developer account at Spoty, then you get an API key and can build SpotyXBMC ( Correct me if I'm wrong ).

The same module could work with the SkypeKit API. (Just for a note, a developer account at Skype cost 10$).

(2012-05-03 16:03)RockerC Wrote:  http://developer.skype.com/certify-marke...rms-of-use

This is the DesktopAPI, I'm using the SkypeKit and they are a bit different.

I must be missing something. Maybe this won't work, but my thought is:

Create a python adapter for SkypeKit, and jump through whatever hoops Skype wants. Then create a separate xbmc addon that calls your Python-SkypeKit adapter. Distribute them as two separate products.

(2012-05-03 18:54)amitn Wrote:  

(2012-05-03 16:03)RockerC Wrote:  These are practically the same Terms of Use distribution license concerns that Akezeke have regarding his SpotyXBMC2 addon integration development, right?

I wasn't aware about SpotyXBMC2, I need to look more in to it, but at first look it is seems that there aren't any binary versions of SoptyXBMC, you need to register a developer account at Spoty, then you get an API key and can build SpotyXBMC ( Correct me if I'm wrong ).

The same module could work with the SkypeKit API. (Just for a note, a developer account at Skype cost 10$).

SpotyXBMC is not available as a downloadable binary version because it has the same issue with Spotify's Terms of Use distribution license as you have with the SkypeKit Terms of Use distribution license.

Their Terms of Use distribution licenses are simply not compatible with GNU GPL without using a ABI application binary interface where there is a socket sitting in between XBMC and the addon.

Akezeke have therefor chosen to ,until XBMC gets support for binary addons via an ABI, only release the source code for his SpotyXBMC2 addon as a proof-of-concept where you have to compile all the code yourself an then take the personal responsibly of violating the Spotify's Terms of Use license.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLAndPlugins

Quote:If a program released under the GPL uses plug-ins, what are the requirements for the licenses of a plug-in?

It depends on how the program invokes its plug-ins. If the program uses fork and exec to invoke plug-ins, then the plug-ins are separate programs, so the license for the main program makes no requirements for them.

If the program dynamically links plug-ins, and they make function calls to each other and share data structures, we believe they form a single program, which must be treated as an extension of both the main program and the plug-ins. This means the plug-ins must be released under the GPL or a GPL-compatible free software license, and that the terms of the GPL must be followed when those plug-ins are distributed.

If the program dynamically links plug-ins, but the communication between them is limited to invoking the ‘main’ function of the plug-in with some options and waiting for it to return, that is a borderline case.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FSWithNFLibs

Quote:Can I write free software that uses non-free libraries? (#FSWithNFLibs)

If you do this, your program won't be fully usable in a free environment. If your program depends on a non-free library to do a certain job, it cannot do that job in the Free World. If it depends on a non-free library to run at all, it cannot be part of a free operating system such as GNU; it is entirely off limits to the Free World.

So please consider: can you find a way to get the job done without using this library? Can you write a free replacement for that library?

If the program is already written using the non-free library, perhaps it is too late to change the decision. You may as well release the program as it stands, rather than not release it. But please mention in the README that the need for the non-free library is a drawback, and suggest the task of changing the program so that it does the same job without the non-free library. Please suggest that anyone who thinks of doing substantial further work on the program first free it from dependence on the non-free library.

Note that there may also be legal issues with combining certain non-free libraries with GPL-covered free software. Please see the question on GPL software with GPL-incompatible libraries for more information.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html...atibleLibs

I am really looking forward to Skype Integration for XMBC. I do not want to run Windows 7 and just XMBC with a limited Linux OS. But I would like to do Skype for my HTPC.

Yeah, its really one of the top additions i really want in my XBMC experience. If Skype is intergrated, i would no longer need to see the desktop (Skype being the only thing I need to leave XBMC for). Would be happy to contribute to the project, once the legal stuff is sorted and you can post your source code somewhere.