Winamp's open-source code release has been met with controversy and criticism from the developer community. The company, owned by Llama Group, posted its "Legacy Player Code" on GitHub in September, but only a few weeks later, the entire repository was deleted. The move sparked concerns over licensing issues and restrictions on modification and distribution of the code.

The original license terms, known as the Winamp Collaborative License (WCL), have been criticized for being overly restrictive and limiting contributors' abilities to modify or distribute the software. Despite this, the code has been forked over 2,600 times, with developers expressing concerns about the state of the codebase.

Winamp's move comes after a rocky few weeks, with some suggesting that the company rushed its code onto GitHub without fully understanding open-source development principles. The controversy highlights the importance of clear and permissive licensing terms in open-source projects.

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