Google Shuts Down Open-Source Project Due to Copyright Complaint

CoreAVC-for-Linux, a project addressed to Linux users who want to play videos encoded with the H.264 standard through other open-source players, was removed from the Google Code website due to what seems to be a copyright infringement complaint. What's interesting is that nobody knows for sure who made the complaint but, due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Google was forced to take down the project.

CoreAVC, developed by CoreCodec, was previously available only for Windows platforms and could be bought for as much as 15 bucks, many clients acquiring it in order to use it on Linux workstations. However, Google provided only a few details, explaining that it has removed the project due to a complaint under the DMCA.

"In response to a complaint we received under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed project 'coreavc-for-linux'. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal at ChillingEffects.org," a message posted on the old CoreAVC-for-Linux website reads.

A forum discussion posted on the CoreCode website comes to explain the whole case and confirms that the CoreAVC developers are now working with Google to restore the project. Moreover, they are also working on a Linux version of the product which has been in testing stages for almost two years.

"We plan on releasing CoreAVC for Linux... and in fact it's been done for over two years now. We are just waiting for the right time to release it.... same goes for CorePlayer on Linux it's been done for a while now. I am working directly with Alan to address what was brought to our attention so we can get Google to restore the project," BetaBoy, a CoreCodec forum user, wrote in the forum discussion.