Oct 17, 2024 10:47:00

The repository for the long-established media player 'Winamp' is deleted after a firestorm

The source code of

Winamp, a long-established media player that was released in 1997, was removed from GitHub in October 2024. When the Winamp source code was released in September 2024, it contained clauses such as 'prohibiting the creation of forks,' and licensing issues were pointed out.

Winamp owner deletes 'Open Source' repository after a bumpy month on GitHub | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/winamp-owner-deletes-open-source-repository-after-a-bumpy-month-on-github

Winamp deletes entire GitHub source code repo after a rocky few weeks - Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/10/winamp-really-whips-open-source-coders-into-frenzy-with-its-source-release/

Released in 1997, Wimamp gained support from many users with the rise of mp3, but announced the end of development in 2013. However, it was acquired by the internet radio service Radionomy in 2014, and a new version was released in 2022.

Winamp version 5.9 release candidate officially released after four years of development - GIGAZINE

Winamp released its source code on GitHub on September 24, 2024. When it was released, Winamp said, 'We will allow the entire community to participate in the development. This is an invitation to global collaboration where developers from all over the world can contribute their expertise, ideas and passion to the evolution of this iconic software.'

The source code of Winamp is released under a unique license called the Winamp Collaborative License (WCL) , which states 'a free, copyleft license.' However, the actual license text not only prohibits the creation and redistribution of forks, but also conflicts with GitHub's terms of use, which states that 'publishing a repository grants a license to other users to fork it,' and it has been pointed out that it has problems such as not being able to use GitHub's standard workflow of 'forking a repository, making changes, and sending a pull request.'

The source code of the long-established media player 'Winamp' is released, but there are problems with the license - GIGAZINE

The licensing of Winamp's source code has attracted a lot of criticism . In addition, it has been reported that proprietary source code from Microsoft and Intel has been found in Winamp's repository. It has been pointed out that Winamp does not have the authority to release this code, which could lead to major licensing issues.

Then, in October 2024, Llama Group, the owner of Winamp, deleted all Winamp-related repositories from GitHub. At the time of writing, if you browse Winamp's GitHub page , you will see the message 'This organization has no public repositories.'

At the time of writing, Llama Group had not commented on the removal of the Winamp repository.