Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] gnu: Add stremio.

From: Andreas Enge <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:33:14 +0200

Hello,

Am Sat, Apr 19, 2025 at 12:43:27PM +0200 schrieb Sergio Pastor Pérez:
> I think "stremio" is the better name. In my opinion, it's more clear for
> the end user.

okay, good with me.

> > I also did not find a license for the "embedded"
> > stremio-server-4.20.8.js file; the file itself says
> >    /*! For license information please see server.js.LICENSE.txt */
> > but where is this file?
> > I also found this open issue
> >    https://github.com/Stremio/stremio-service/issues/49
> > which seems to indicate that the code is not free.
> I could neither find the license for that file. It's probably an
> overlooked issue, I think we can probably get in touch with the
> developers to clarify that. Reading that issue, it seems that they did
> not have the source code available for the "server.js", which now it is,
> as you can see[1].
> Also this post[2] seem to indicate that the intention of the Stremio
> developers it to open-source everything.
> [1] https://dl.strem.io/server/v4.20.8/desktop/server.js
> [2]
> https://blog.stremio.com/announcing-stremio-core-embracing-open-source-and-rust
> Reading that post it seems that the "server.js" should also fall under
> an open-source license.
> What do you reckon? Do we need to contact the developers before merging
> the package?

This all seems to be a bit vague. There is this press release [2] from
2019 that makes announcements like "Stremio-core will be open-source too,
and licensed under the permissive MIT license.", but such a declaration
of intentions does not mean that anything *is* actually published under
such a license. (And for instance, the expat vs. gpl3 question shows the
discrepancy between announcements and reality.)

On the other hand, there is the issue
   https://github.com/Stremio/stremio-service/issues/49
from 2023 in which the "lead dev" arguments that some parts of the code
are and should remain proprietary.

It may just be an oversight, and the hint towards a license file at the
top of server.js is an indication of that, but we cannot be sure and do
not have this license file.

So my opinion is that as long as we have no proofs of a free license,
this package has to be considered proprietary and cannot be added to
Guix. Maybe you could bring this up with the developers and have them
add a license statement, or a link to such a statement, in the server.js
file.

Andreas