[FFmpeg-devel] Re: [RFC] Sponsors & Funding

["Rémi Denis-Courmont via ffmpeg-devel" <ffmpeg-devel@ffmpeg.org>]

Le tiistaina 9. syyskuuta 2025, 15.10.37 Itä-Euroopan kesäaika Michael 
Niedermayer via ffmpeg-devel a écrit :
> > 2) A legal entity with clear oversight rules that sponsors can trust and
> > influence collects funding from sponsors and decides whom to pay for
> > what.
> We have that:
> "Software in the Public Interest (SPI) is a non-profit corporation
> registered in the state of New York founded to act as a fiscal sponsor for
> organizations that develop open source software and hardware. Our mission
> is to help substantial and  significant open source projects by handling
> their non-technical administrative tasks so that they aren't required to
> operate their own legal entity."

How does that enable large sponsors to influence what gets done with the money? 
How does that take care of drafting and reviewing contracts? That just takes 
care of fiscal and admin problems. It's great that they do it at all, but it's 
not remotely sufficient in this context.

There is an argument that sponsors should not be allowed that influence. But 
the flip side is that they won't make big donations without it. It's not a 
sufficient condition, but it's essentially necessary.

AFAICT, you would need an actual FFmpeg legal entity with proper legal 
statutes and formal governance, and as part of that governance, a significant 
place for big sponsors. No offense, but you don't strike me as the type of 
person with the expertise and skillset to do set up and run such an 
organisation (me neither).

So maybe let's not waste time and arguing about hypotheticals. Focus on 
funding that you can likely obtain and don't unnecessarily involve the 
community. It's not that complicated:
- do not claim to represent the whole FFmpeg community, just whoever you are,
- do not force features in on the sole basis of funding and/or contract to 
implement them.
(Generic you aimed at everyone and no one in particular)

-- 
Rémi Denis-Courmont
Hagalund ny stad, f.d. Finska republik Nylands



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