GLP License Issues May Bump VLC from App Store

VLC for the iPhone and iPad could potentially get pulled from Apple’s App Store over a complaint that it violates the licensing terms for the app’s software. The complaint was filed by Rémi Denis-Courmont, one of the developers involved in the VLC project, because he claims the copy protection Apple adds to all titles distributed through App Store isn’t allowed by the licensing terms of the VLC code.

VLC Media Player for the iPhone

Content available through the App Store gets an added copy protection layer that prevents users from sharing apps, music and videos downloaded with iTunes which is expressly prohibited by the GPL licensing terms governing the underlying code used in the VLC media player.

The app is still available at Apple’s App Store, but there’s a good chance it won’t be around for long since Apple doesn’t selectively apply copy protection to App Store content, and the company doesn’t want to get in the middle of a content licensing battle. Assuming the VLC Media Player app is pulled, users that have already downloaded it will still be able to use their copy.

[Thanks to Mac Rumors for the heads up.]