Feb 08, 2023 15:00:00

AI voice changer is distributed free of charge in violation of GPL

Many of the software on the Internet are developed as open source, and each software is licensed by the developer. Some of the licenses include the clause `` Request the application of the same license to software that incorporates this software '', but the AI voice changer named

`` Voice.ai '' violates the license It is reported by software developer undeleted that it was distributed in the state of.

Voice.AI: GPL Violations with a Side of DRM | Undeleted Files
https://undeleted.ronsor.com/voice.ai-gpl-violations-with-a-side-of-drm/

Voice.ai is a real-time voice changer that uses the power of AI, and its main feature is that it works offline. Mr. undeleted, who was interested in AI voice changer, said that he was attracted to Voice.ai that works offline and installed it.

Undeleted, who installed Voice.ai, checked the Voice.ai installation folder out of curiosity as a software developer. As a result, it was revealed that the open source software '

Praat ' was embedded. Praat is subject to the license ' GPLv3 ', which includes the provision that 'acquisition, use, modification, and redistribution are permitted, and the same license should be applied to software that incorporates the software'.

As mentioned above, Voice.ai is developed incorporating software to which GPLv3 is applied, so it is necessary to apply GPLv3 to Voice.ai as well and allow modification and redistribution. However, Voice.ai's terms of use (archive) include items such as ``prohibit distribution and sale of copies to third parties'' and ``prohibit reuse, disassembly, decompilation, and reverse engineering of software''. and was in violation of GPLv3.

Mr. undeleted joined Voice.ai's official Discord server and reported about the license issue. As a result, he was asked to contact the support center by email, so Mr. undeleted sent the email as instructed. However, even after waiting for a few days, no reply came back, and on the contrary, Mr. undeleted was banned from the Discord server.

After that, Mr. undeleted reported Voice.ai's licensing issue on the news sharing site 'Hacker News', and the report received more than 190 comments. As a result, Voice.ai quietly updated the license, but it still violates GPLv3.