Lovense OBS Toolkit (source code) is currently shipping code based on obs-multi-rtmp version 0.2.8.0, released in 2021. that’s 420 commits behind the modern day version, which is 0.7.3.2.

also the way these buttons work is incredibly weird. who the fuck coded this.

@sodiboo SIX SEVEN

@sodiboo nvm my bad

@jessew no youre supposed to say blaze it

@sodiboo how would you even use it?

@luna how do you mean?

@sodiboo Like how would you integrate lovense with obs

@luna @sodiboo i guess you could display current settings on stream

@luna Their software manages tips from multiple cam sites. It has an overlay showing the available redeems, and what affects they will have on your toys. I think it can also show stats for some of the toys with sensors? The Lovense OBS Toolkit allows connecting to the locally running software, to show the stream overlay. It also includes other extensions, such as obs-multi-rtmp so you can stream to several cam sites at once. It also is the primary way to configure the Lovense Camera; it works without their software of course, but if you want to configure the gestures, change the tracking mode, or zoom in and out, that’s primarily done from the OBS plugin, with a panel shown next to the scene. It also integrates with the redeems, allowing you to have a redeem that zooms in on certain parts of the frame.

@lina @luna Mainly, it’s an overlay to show the available redeems, prices, and their cooldowns; as well as managing settings for the Lovense Camera. but it also includes multi-streaming capabilities.

@sodiboo huh fair enough

what the fuck they’re building against the legacy OBS build system that was removed two releases ago. this literally doesn’t build against OBS Studio 32. but they specifically have released a version compatible with OBS Studio 32. are these sources outdated?? is this a license violation??

@sodiboo jquery

@sodiboo ok so what are you planning?

@4censord i’m not planning anything. i’m struggling

@SRAZKVT my favorite part is document.getElementById. they’re mixing jQuery and regular JS. which is fine i guess but like. come on. jQuery is shorter here.

@sodiboo well yeah but what happens after the struggeling leads to success?

@4censord if i succeed then it means buying a lovense webcam wouldn’t be a terrible idea. i’m trying to get it working on Linux. they don’t have great documentation but the software is based on GPLv2 stuff so i do technically have the source code so i should be able to build it if i’m determined enough.

if i give up. then it means i will definitely not buy the lovense webcam

@sodiboo @4censord lovense WEBCAM??

is that like

an endoscope or sth

also why does it not use UVC

@sodiboo what does the lovense webcam do that is special?

@4censord it like, can follow you around and stuff. has gesture controls to zoom in and out. and it’s high resolution; great for streaming with webcam focus.

@charlotte @4censord no it’s not an endoscope. it’s just a webcam. great for meetings. livestreaming. etc

@sodiboo @4censord okay then it requiring a special driver is even more bizarre

@charlotte @4censord it doesn’t require a special driver for standard webcam features. but it also has stuff like gesture controls and body tracking/centering. this stuff is configured with their driver.

@sodiboo ok but that is not that special, there are many like htat

@4censord yes but it would be kinda funny to have specially The Sex One

@4censord also as far as i can tell, when it’s on sale for 50% off (like it is right now) it’s not a terrible deal? it usually is. but right now it’s roughly the same as similar offerings i think? if i’m not entirely mistaken?

@sodiboo like we had such at my uni, and all these smarts where build-in, to the pc it just presented as a default usb webcam without anything special

@4censord as far as i understand it is a usb webcam. it just has some other stuff that can be configured with their software. but without it, it’s just a high-res webcam

@sodiboo i mean yeah but on the technical side i find that wierd to solve that in a driver and not in the cam itself

@charlotte @4censord what is UVC

@sodiboo wait its not even on a rotating base?

@4censord

@sodiboo @4censord usb video racclass

the protocol used by plug and play usb webcams

@sodiboo like the ones we had in uni where like this:
or in the big meeting rooms like that but massive

@charlotte @4censord oh yes. as far as i’m aware, it should be that. yes. it works with no special software as a regular webcam

is this a license violation??

i’m pretty sure it’s not technically a license violation because like, the GPL predates widespread use of the internet, so source code must only be available “upon request”. the easiest way to implement that is “upon HTTP request” but sending as an attachment in response to human<->human communication is fine too i guess.

anyways so i contacted them and i’m not sure the rep fully understands the implications of GPL. i explained in no uncertain terms that “you are required to publish the latest source code to version 2.3.7 of the Lovense OBS toolset” and then they just responded along the lines of “Yeah. We’re not providing the source code currently. We recommend using the pre-compiled Toolset 2.4.7 instead”. i then reiterate that this is exactly why they must provide the source code. i also explained why the binaries won’t work for me at all (which is irrelevant as this is a legal matter). and they just. sent a copy+paste of their previous response? so i clarified again “you have a legal obligation to provide the source code“ and now they have “assigned a dedicated specialist to handle your case personally” who will “contact [me] very soon”. i hope the specialist knows what the GPL is.

oh and this in the root post:

is currently shipping code

is based on the outdated source download from april of this year. given that it is from 2025 and then they were shipping code from 2021, it would not surprise me if they are still doing that. but as it turns out i did not actually inspect the latest release. i merely assumed i was looking at the latest release because oh how foolish and naive to think they would be complying with GPL in the simplest way possible. nuh-uh

(it’s also not literally that ancient version of that plugin. just based on it. i guess lovense forked it 4 years ago and are missing a bunch of patches)

@sodiboo “a dominatrix will be with you shortly to evaluate the rights you have under the GPL”

Sigh. Their “specialist” told me “Hi. We are unable to provide the information you required. If needed, please download the latest toolset (2.4.7).”

What the fuck??

Anyways I reiterated the gist of the GPL and how not providing the source code is literally illegal and that they are committing Copyright Infringement.

@sodiboo source denial… how kinky

the most infuriating part is how slow they are at responding. they seem to be sending no more than one message per working day. this gives the illusion that they’re thinking at all. and then the response I get is like… just a copy+paste of the previous response??

it’s been more than a week. they have sent exactly one (1) message that feels like it had any thought put into it. and that one felt like a genuine misunderstanding! and then they’re just ignoring me?? what the fuck.

if an engineer saw this, it could’ve been resolved in 30 minutes.

I’ve been responding to every message of theirs within the hour and then they just ignore me for at least 24 hours. only to tell me the next day to basically get lost WHICH IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE THEY’RE VIOLATING THE GPL BY DOING THAT

holy shit fuck this company

how do I actually enforce the GPL though. because like I cannot easily afford a lawsuit. who can I report this to that can help me. does OBS have some legal entity enforcing its license? in theory Lovense is violating libobs license here.

@0x57e11a go off I guess. not sure that this will help. but feel free I guess I can’t stop you

@sodiboo AFAIK the authors have to take action, the FSF(E) might be willing to help

@tastytea There’s no way the authors must be involved. What if the author died? They’re still taking away my freedoms even though I didn’t author the GPL-licensed code they are shipping.

@sodiboo in theory, that's the fsf's job

i say that in theory because they don't actually give a shit anymore

@sodiboo talk to the Software Freedom Conservancy, i am pretty sure they work to try to get people to comply with copyleft

WAIT YO. they sent me an email that DOESN’T brush off my request finally. and this is the SECOND communication of the day. huge news. will keep u updated.

@sodiboo clearly they are just edging you… soon you will get the fruits of your labour, a climax in the form of a tarball.

@SRAZKVT @sodiboo software freedom conservancy in the US or fsfe in EU, both of which made statements against the FSF's decision to reinstate stallman

@SRAZKVT @sodiboo hopeful the fsf will demonstrate signs of life after stallman was swapped out but when i say hopeful i mean my hope died long ago and it would just be good even if it's way too late to matter

I’d like to note that this previous reply is perhaps overly optimistic? by “doesn’t brush off my request” I meant “feels like they actually read the bolded phrases in my request”. I haven’t heard anything more yet (albeit it’s been like 24 hours only) but the thing that got me excited is them asking how I plan to use the source code. to be clear that’s not a thing they have any business knowing, but at least it feels like it’s not outright denying my source code request. previous responses were all like “we don’t offer the source code. download binary releases”. though I didn’t get source code yet, at least the latest communication was not the same bullshit response. idk. maybe I got too excited. but I also don’t know what the next response will be.

@sodiboo they are getting their best GPL specialist on the case

@sodiboo they did not, in fact, get their best GPL specialist on the case

@sodiboo strongly recommend reaching out to fsfe or sfc depending upon jurisdiction they actively litigate these things and very much living organizations and should be able to eliminate uncertainty regarding next steps

what this is unusual even for them. they’ve been sending me a reply every day except weekends but now they’ve not replied in like 3 days? what. or, rather, the day after I got one email I got a response saying they would send another email “very soon” and then they didn’t and now I’m still waiting and I asked about it yesterday and they didn’t answer yet.

but it’s like, Thanksgiving I think? and they’re US based I assume? so I guess it’s a holiday for them? makes sense. I suppose.

it’s been a week since the last email. what the fuck. this customer service is a joke.

@sodiboo that’s a long edgesesh

the last I heard other than “please wait further updates” was an email containing the lie that “We follow OBS’s open principles” while also imposing conditions: “We’d like to know your specific plans for using the OBS toolset source code, so we can assess how you intend to use it”. since then I’ve only gotten three replies saying “we’ll contact you soon”.

patience almost running out. so I’ve given them a deadline of one month after I submitted the support ticket, until I pursue legal action instead.