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• A Guide to GDPR Sensitive Personal Data

  13 mai 2024, par Erin

  The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the world’s most stringent data protection laws. It provides a legal framework for collection and processing of the personal data of EU individuals.

  The GDPR distinguishes between “special categories of personal data” (also referred to as “sensitive”) and other personal data and imposes stricter requirements on collection and processing of sensitive data. Understanding these differences will help your company comply with the requirements and avoid heavy penalties.

  In this article, we’ll explain what personal data is considered “sensitive” according to the GDPR. We’ll also examine how a web analytics solution like Matomo can help you maintain compliance.

  What is sensitive personal data ?

  The following categories of data are treated as sensitive :

  1. 1. Personal data revealing :
        • Racial or ethnic origin ;
        • Political opinions ;
        • Religious or philosophical beliefs ;
        • Trade union membership ;
     2. Genetic and biometric data ;
     3. Data concerning a person’s :
        • Health ; or
        • Sex life or sexual orientation.

  

  Sensitive vs. non-sensitive personal data : What’s the difference ?

  While both categories include information about an individual, sensitive data is seen as more private, or requiring a greater protection. 

  Sensitive data often carries a higher degree of risk and harm to the data subject, if the data is exposed. For example, a data breach exposing health records could lead to discrimination for the individuals involved. An insurance company could use the information to increase premiums or deny coverage. 

  In contrast, personal data like name or gender is considered less sensitive because it doesn’t carry the same degree of harm as sensitive data. 

  Unauthorised access to someone’s name alone is less likely to harm them or infringe on their fundamental rights and freedoms than an unauthorised access to their health records or biometric data. Note that financial information (e.g. credit card details) does not fall into the special categories of data.

  

  Legality of processing

  Under the GDPR, both sensitive and nonsensitive personal data are protected. However, the rules and conditions for processing sensitive data are more stringent.

  Article 6 deals with processing of non-sensitive data and it states that processing is lawful if one of the six lawful bases for processing applies. 

  In contrast, Art. 9 of the GDPR states that processing of sensitive data is prohibited as a rule, but provides ten exceptions. 

  It is important to note that the lawful bases in Art. 6 are not the same as exceptions in Art. 9. For example, while performance of a contract or legitimate interest of the controller are a lawful basis for processing non-sensitive personal data, they are not included as an exception in Art. 9. What follows is that controllers are not permitted to process sensitive data on the basis of contract or legitimate interest. 

  The exceptions where processing of sensitive personal data is permitted (subject to additional requirements) are : 

  • Explicit consent : The individual has given explicit consent to processing their sensitive personal data for specified purpose(s), except where an EU member state prohibits such consent. See below for more information about explicit consent. 
  • Employment, social security or social protection : Processing sensitive data is necessary to perform tasks under employment, social security or social protection law.
  • Vital interests : Processing sensitive data is necessary to protect the interests of a data subject or if the individual is physically or legally incapable of consenting. 
  • Non-for-profit bodies : Foundations, associations or nonprofits with a political, philosophical, religious or trade union aim may process the sensitive data of their members or those they are in regular contact with, in connection with their purposes (and no disclosure of the data is permitted outside the organisation, without the data subject’s consent).
  • Made public : In some cases, it may be permissible to process the sensitive data of a data subject if the individual has already made it public and accessible. 
  • Legal claims : Processing sensitive data is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, including legal or in court proceedings.
  • Public interest : Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, like preventing unlawful acts or protecting the public.
  • Health or social care : Processing special category data is necessary for : preventative or occupational medicine, providing health and social care, medical diagnosis or managing healthcare systems.
  • Public health : It is permissible to process sensitive data for public health reasons, like protecting against cross-border threats to health or ensuring the safety of medicinal products or medical devices. 
  • Archiving, research and statistics : You may process sensitive data if it’s done for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes.

  In addition, you must adhere to all data handling requirements set by the GDPR.

  Important : Note that for any data sent that you are processing, you always need to identify a lawful basis under Art. 6. In addition, if the data sent contains sensitive data, you must comply with Art. 9.

  Explicit consent

  While consent is a valid lawful basis for processing non-sensitive personal data, controllers are permitted to process sensitive data only with an “explicit consent” of the data subject.

  The GDPR does not define “explicit” consent, but it is accepted that it must meet all Art. 7 conditions for consent, at a higher threshold. To be “explicit” a consent requires a clear statement (oral or written) of the data subject. Consent inferred from the data subject’s actions does not meet the threshold. 

  The controller must retain records of the explicit consent and provide appropriate consent withdrawal method to allow the data subject to exercise their rights.

  Examples of compliant and non-compliant sensitive data processing

  Here are examples of when you can and can’t process sensitive data :

  • When you can process sensitive data : A doctor logs sensitive data about a patient, including their name, symptoms and medicine prescribed. The hospital can process this data to provide appropriate medical care to their patients. An IoT device and software manufacturer processes their customers’ health data based on explicit consent of each customer. 
  • When you can’t process sensitive data : One example is when you don’t have explicit consent from a data subject. Another is when there’s no lawful basis for processing it or you are collecting personal data you simply do not need. For example, you don’t need your customer’s ethnic origin to fulfil an online order.

  Other implications of processing sensitive data

  If you process sensitive data, especially on a large scale, GDPR imposes additional requirements, such as having Data Privacy Impact Assessments, appointing Data Protection Officers and EU Representatives, if you are a controller based outside the EU.

  Penalties for GDPR non-compliance

  Mishandling sensitive data (or processing it when you’re not allowed to) can result in huge penalties. There are two tiers of GDPR fines :

  • €10 million or 2% of a company’s annual revenue for less severe infringements
  • €20 million or 4% of a company’s annual revenue for more severe infringements

  In the first half of 2023 alone, fines imposed in the EU due to GDPR violations exceeded €1.6 billion, up from €73 million in 2019.

  Examples of high-profile violations in the last few years include :

  • Amazon : The Luxembourg National Commission fined the retail giant with a massive $887 million fine in 2021 for not processing personal data per the GDPR. 
  • Google : The National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) fined Google €50 million for not getting proper consent to display personalised ads.
  • H&M : The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information hit the multinational clothing company with a €35.3 million fine in 2020 for unlawfully gathering and storing employees’ data in its service centre.

  One of the criteria that affects the severity of a fine is “data category” — the type of personal data being processed. Companies need to take extra precautions with sensitive data, or they risk receiving more severe penalties.

  What’s more, GDPR violations can negatively affect your brand’s reputation and cause you to lose business opportunities from consumers concerned about your data practices. 76% of consumers indicated they wouldn’t buy from companies they don’t trust with their personal data.

  Organisations should lay out their data practices in simple terms and make this information easily accessible so customers know how their data is being handled.

  Get started with GDPR-compliant web analytics

  The GDPR offers a framework for securing and protecting personal data. But it also distinguishes between sensitive and non-sensitive data. Understanding these differences and applying the lawful basis for processing this data type will help ensure compliance.

  Looking for a GDPR-compliant web analytics solution ?

  At Matomo, we take data privacy seriously. 

  Our platform ensures 100% data ownership, putting you in complete control of your data. Unlike other web analytics solutions, your data remains solely yours and isn’t sold or auctioned off to advertisers. 

  Additionally, with Matomo, you can be confident in the accuracy of the insights you receive, as we provide reliable, unsampled data.

  Matomo also fully complies with GDPR and other data privacy laws like CCPA, LGPD and more.

  Start your 21-day free trial today ; no credit card required. 

  Disclaimer

  We are not lawyers and don’t claim to be. The information provided here is to help give an introduction to GDPR. We encourage every business and website to take data privacy seriously and discuss these issues with your lawyer if you have any concerns.

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• LGPD : Demystifying Brazil’s New Data Protection Law

  31 août 2023, par Erin — Privacy

  The General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD or Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais) is a relatively new legislation passed by the Brazilian government in 2018. The law officially took effect on September 18, 2020, but was not enforced until August 1, 2021, due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

  For organisations that do business in Brazil and collect personal data, the LGPD has far-reaching implications, with 65 separate articles that outline how organisations must collect, process, disclose and erase personal data.

  In this article, you’ll learn what the LGPD is, including its contents and how a legal entity can be compliant.

  What is the LGPD ?

  The LGPD is a new data protection and privacy law passed by the Federal Brazilian Government on May 29, 2018. The purpose of the law is to unify the 40 previous Brazilian laws that regulated the processing of personal data.

  

  Many of the older laws have been either updated or removed to accommodate this change. The LGPD comprises 65 separate articles, and each covers a different area of the legislation, such as the rights of data subjects and the legal bases on which personal data may be collected. It also sets out the responsibilities of the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), a newly created agency responsible for the guidance, supervision and enforcement of the LGPD.

  LGPD compliance is essential for organisations wishing to operate in Brazil and collect personal data for commercial purposes, whether online or offline. However, understanding the different rules and regulations and even figuring out if the LGPD applies to you can be challenging.

  Fortunately, the LGPD is relatively easy to understand and shares many similarities with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the data protection law implemented on May 25, 2018, by the European Union. This may help you better understand why the LGPD was enacted, the policies it contains and the goals it hopes to achieve. Both laws are very similar, but some items are unique to Brazil, such as what qualifies as a legal basis for collecting personal data.

  For these reasons, organisations should not apply a one-size-fits-all approach to GDPR and LGPD compliance, for they are different laws with different guiding principles and requirements.

  Who does the LGPD apply to, and who is exempt ?

  The LGPD applies to any natural person, public entity and private entity that collects, processes and stores personal data for commercial purposes within the national territory of Brazil. The same also applies to those who process the personal data of Brazilian and non-Brazilian citizens within the national territory of Brazil, even if the data processor is outside of Brazil. It also applies to those who process personal data collected from the national territory of Brazil.

  So, what does this all mean ? 

  Regardless of your location, if you conduct any personal data processing activities in Brazil or you process data that was collected from Brazil, then there is a high possibility that the LGPD applies to you. This is especially true if the data processing is for commercial purposes ; or, to be more precise, for the offering or provision of goods or services. It also means that subjects whose personal data is collected under these conditions are protected by the nine data subject rights.

  There are exceptions where the LGPD does not apply to data processors. These include if you process personal data for private or non-commercial reasons ; for artistic, journalistic and select academic purposes ; and for the purpose of state security, public safety, national defence and activities related to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenders. Also, if the processed data originates from a country with similar data protection laws to Brazil, such as any country in the European Union (where the GDPR applies), then the LGPD will not apply to that individual or organisation.

  For these reasons, it is vital that you are familiar with the LGPD so that your data processing activities comply with the new standards. This is also important for the future, as an estimated 75% of the global population’s personal data will be protected by a privacy regulation. Getting things right now will make life easier moving forward.

  What are the nine LGPD data subject rights ?

  The LGPD has nine data subject rights. These protect the rights and freedoms of subjects, regardless of their political opinion and religious belief.

  

  These rights, listed under Article 19 of the LGPD, confirm that a data subject has the right to :

  1. Confirm the processing of their data.
  2. Access their data.
  3. Correct data that is incomplete, not accurate and out of date.
  4. Anonymize, block and delete data that is excessive, unnecessary and was not processed in compliance with the law.
  5. Move their data to a different service provider or product provider by special request.
  6. Delete or stop using personal data under certain circumstances.
  7. Gain information about who the data processor has shared the processed data with, including private and public entities.
  8. Be informed as to what the consequences may be for denying consent to the collection of personal data.
  9. Revoke consent to have their personal data processed under certain conditions.

  Many of these data subject rights are like the GDPR. For example, both the GDPR and LGPD give data subjects the right to be informed, the right to access, the right to data portability and the right to rectify false data. However, while the LGPD has nine data subject rights, the GDPR has only eight. What is the extra data subject right ? The right to gain information on who a data processor has shared your data with.

  There are other slight differences between the GDPR and LGPD with regard to data subject rights. For instance, the GDPR has a clear right to restrict certain data processing activities, such as those related to automation. The LGPD has this, too. But the subject of data collection automation is under Article 20, separate from all the data subject rights listed under Article 19.

  Under what conditions can personal data in Brazil be processed ?

  There are various conditions under which organisations can legally conduct personal data processing in Brazil. The aim of these conditions is to give data subjects confidence — that their personal data is processed for only safe, legal and ethical reasons. Also, the conditions help data processors, both individuals and organisations, determine if they have a legal basis for processing personal data in or in relation to Brazil.

  

  According to Article 7 of the LGPD, data processing may only be carried out if done :

  1. With consent by the data subject.
  2. To comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
  3. By public authorities to assist with the execution of a public policy, one established by law or regulation.
  4. To help research entities carry out studies ; granted, when possible, subjects can anonymize their data.
  5. To carry out a contract or preliminary procedure, in particular, one related to a contract where the data subject is a party.
  6. To exercise the right of an arbitration, administration or judicial procedure.
  7. To protect the physical safety or life of someone
  8. To protect the health of someone about to undergo a procedure performed by health entities
  9. To fulfill the legitimate interests of a data processor, unless doing so would compromise a data subject’s fundamental rights and liberties.
  10. To protect one’s credit score.

  Much like the nine data subject rights, there are key differences between the LGPD and GDPR. The GDPR has six lawful bases for data processing, while the LGPD has ten. One notable addition to the LGPD is for the protection of one’s credit score, which is not covered by the GDPR. Another reason to ensure compliance with both data protection laws separately.

  LGPD vs. GDPR : How do they differ ?

  The LGPD was modeled closely on the GDPR, so it’s no surprise the two are similar. 

  Both laws ensure a high level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects. They outline the legal justifications for data processing, establish the responsibilities of a data protection authority and lay out the penalties for non-compliance. That said, there are key differences between them.

  First, data subject rights ; the LGPD has nine, while the GDPR has eight. The GDPR gives data subjects the right to request a human review of automated decision-making, while the LGPD does not. Second, the legal bases for processing ; the LGPD has ten, while the GDPR has six. The four legal bases unique to the LGPD are : for protection of credit, for protection of health, for protection of life and for research entities carrying out studies.

  Both the LGPD and GDPR have different non-compliance penalties. The maximum fine for an infraction under the GDPR is up to €20 million (or 4% of the offender’s annual global revenue, whichever is higher). The maximum fine for an LGPD infraction is up to 50 million reais (around €9.2 million), or up to 2% of an offender’s revenue in Brazil, whichever is higher.

  6 steps to LGPD compliance with Matomo

  Below are steps you can follow to ensure your organisation is LGPD compliant. You’ll also learn how Matomo can help you comply quickly and easily.

  

  Let’s dive in.

  1. Appoint a DPO

  A DPO is a person, group, or organisation that communicates with data processors, data subjects, and the ANDP.

  Curiously, the LGPD lets you appoint your own DPO — even if they reside out of Brazil. So if the LGPD applies to you, you can appoint someone in your organisation to be a DPO. Just make sure that the nominated person has the understanding and capacity to perform the role’s duties.

  2. Assess your data

  Once you’re familiar with the LGPD and confirm your eligibility for LGPD compliance, take the time to assess your data. If you plan to collect data within the territory of Brazil, you’ll need to confirm the exact location of your data subjects. 

  To do this in Matomo, simply go to the previous year’s calendar. Then click on visitors, go to locations, and look for Brazil under the “Region” section. This will tell you how many of your web visitors are located in Brazil.

  

  3. Review privacy practices

  Review your existing privacy policies and practices, as there’s a good chance they’ll need to be updated to comply with the LGPD. Also, review your data sharing and third-party agreements, as you may need to communicate these new policies to partners that you rely on to deliver your services. 

  Lastly, review your procedures for tracking personal data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). You may need to modify the type of data that you track to comply with the LGPD. You may even be tracking this data without your knowledge.

  4. Anonymize tracking data

  Data subjects under the LGPD have the right to request data anonymity. Therefore, to be LGPD compliant, your organisation must be able to accommodate for such a request.

  Fortunately, Matomo has various data anonymization techniques that help you protect your data subject’s privacy and comply with the LGPD. These techniques include the ability to anonymize previously tracked raw data, anonymize visitor IP addresses, and anonymize relevant geo-location data such as regions, cities and countries.

  

  You can find these features and more under the Anonymize data tab within the Privacy menu on the Matomo Settings page. Learn more about how to configure privacy settings in Matomo.

  5. Comply with LGPD consent laws without cookies

  By using Matomo to anonymize the data of your data subjects, this enables you to comply with LGPD consent laws and remove the need to display cookie consent banners on your website. This is made possible by the fact that Matomo is a cookieless tracking web analytics platform.

  Unlike other web analytics platforms like Google Analytics, which collect and use third-party cookies (persistent data that remains on your device, until that data expires or until you manually delete it) for their “own purposes,” Matomo is different. We use alternative means to identify web visitors, such as count the number of unique IP addresses and perform browser fingerprinting, neither of which involve the collection of personal data.

  As a result, you don’t have to display cookie consent banners on your website, and you can track your web visitors even if they disable cookies.

  6. Give users the right to opt-out

  Under the LGPD, data subjects have the right to opt-out of your data collection procedures. For this reason, make sure that your web visitors can do this on your website.

  

  You can do this in Matomo by adding an opt-out from tracking form to your website. To do this, click on the cog icon in the top menu, load the settings page, and click on the Users opt-out menu item in the Privacy section. Then follow the instructions to customise and publish the Matomo opt-out form.

  Achieve LGPD compliance with Matomo

  Like GDPR for Europe, the LGPD will impact organisations doing business in Brazil. And while they both share much of the same definitions and data subject rights, they differ on what qualifies as a legal basis for processing sensitive data. Complying with the GDPR and LGPD separately is non-negotiable and essential to avoiding maximum fines of €20 million and €9.2 million, respectively.

  

  As a web analytics platform with LGPD compliance, Matomo prioritises data privacy without compromising performance. Switch to a powerful LGPD-compliant web analytics platform that respects users’ privacy. 

  Get a 21-day free trial of Matomo today. No credit card required.

  Disclaimer

  We are not lawyers and don’t claim to be. The information provided here is to help give an introduction to LGPD. We encourage every business and website to take data privacy seriously and discuss these issues with your lawyer if you have any concerns.

• MOV to ACVHD conversion via Spring Boot and FFmpeg leads to file system error

  31 décembre 2024, par epicUsername

  I am experiencing an issue on a personal project that seeks to convert HEIC to JPG files and MOV files to AVCHD format. The HEIC to JPG conversion works, but the MOV to AVCHD does not, which is where my problems lie.

  


  The intent is to do this with Spring Boot and FFmpeg, using a simple interface done in WindowBuilder.

  


  The relevant bits are the pom file :

  


      <dependencies>&#xA;    &#xA;        &#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>jmagick</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>jmagick</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>6.6.9</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;&#xA;        &#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>net.java.dev.jna</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>jna</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>5.7.0</version> &#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>net.java.dev.jna</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>jna-platform</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>5.7.0</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;        &#xA;        &#xA;&#xA;&#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>org.bytedeco</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>ffmpeg</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>7.1-1.5.11</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>org.bytedeco</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>javacv</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>1.5.11</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>org.bytedeco</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>ffmpeg-platform</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>7.1-1.5.11</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;        &#xA;        <dependency>&#xA;            <groupid>org.bytedeco</groupid>&#xA;            <artifactid>javacpp</artifactid>&#xA;            <version>1.5.11</version>&#xA;        </dependency>&#xA;    </dependencies>&#xA;&#xA;

  


  and the main file with the event handling for the application, based on the interface :

  


  package home.multimeida.mmconverter;

imports...

public class MMConverterInterface extends JFrame {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        
        try {
            System.setProperty("jna.library.path", "absolute/path/to/gstreamer/bin");
            // Gst.init("GStreamer Test");
            System.out.println("GStreamer initialized successfully.");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            System.out.println("Failed to initialize GStreamer.");
        }
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                try {
                    MMConverterInterface frame = new MMConverterInterface();
                    frame.setVisible(true);
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        });
    }

    /**
     * Create the frame.
     */
    public MMConverterInterface() {
        
        // convert button
        
        btnConvert.addActionListener(e -> {
            
            try {
                
                if (sourceFileLabel.getText().equals("No file chosen...") || destinationFolderLabel.getText().equals("No folder selected...")) {
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Please select both an input file and a save location.", "Validation Error", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
                    return;
                }
                 
                File sourceFile = new File(sourceFileLabel.getText());
                File destinationFile;
                 
                if (rdbtnNewRadioButton.isSelected()) {
                    
                    System.out.println("Converting HEIC to JPG...");
                        
                    String outputFileName = sourceFile.getName().replaceFirst("[.][^.]+$", ".jpg");
                    
                    // Call your conversion logic here
                    
                    destinationFile = new File(destinationFolderLabel.getText(), outputFileName);
                    
                    convertHeicToJpg(sourceFile, destinationFile);
                    
                } else if (rdbtnNewRadioButton_1.isSelected()) {
                    
                    if (sourceFileLabel.getText().equals("No file chosen...") || destinationFolderLabel.getText().equals("No folder selected...")) {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Please select both an input file and a save location.", "Validation Error", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
                        return;
                    }
                    
                     // Validate source file
                    if (!sourceFile.exists() || !sourceFile.canRead()) {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Source file does not exist or is not readable.", "File Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return;
                    }
                    
                    // Validate destination folder
                    String destinationPath = destinationFolderLabel.getText();
                    if (destinationPath == null || destinationPath.isEmpty() || !(new File(destinationPath).isDirectory())) {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Invalid destination folder.", "File Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return;
                    }
                    
                    System.out.println("Converting MOV to AVCHD...");
                    
                    String currentDate = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd").format(new Date());

                    // Extract the file name without the extension
                    String baseName = sourceFile.getName().replaceFirst("[.][^.]+$", "");

                    // Sanitize the base name (replace invalid characters with '_')
                    baseName = baseName.replaceAll("[^a-zA-Z0-9-_]", "_");
                    
                    String sanitizedFileName = baseName + "_" + currentDate;
                    sanitizedFileName = sanitizedFileName.replaceAll("[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]", "_"); // Allow alphanumeric, '-', '_', and '.'

                    destinationFile = new File(destinationPath, sanitizedFileName);
                    
                    
                    /*
                    // Ensure the destination file is writable
                    if (!destinationFile.canWrite()) {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Output file is not writable.", "File Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return;
                    }
                    */
                   

                    convertMovToAvchd(sourceFile, destinationFile);
                    
                } else {
                    
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Please select a conversion type.");
                    
                }
                
            } catch (Exception ex) {
                
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Error: " + ex.getMessage(), "Conversion Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                ex.printStackTrace();
            }
            
            
        });
        
        // cancel button:
        
        btnCancel.addActionListener(e -> {
            System.out.println("Operation canceled.");
            System.exit(0); // Close the application
        });

    }
    
    public void convertMovToAvchd(File sourceFile, File destinationFile) {
        avutil.av_log_set_level(avutil.AV_LOG_DEBUG);
        
        

        AVFormatContext inputFormatContext = null;
        AVFormatContext outputFormatContext = new AVFormatContext(null);
        AVCodecContext inputCodecContext = null;
        AVCodecContext outputCodecContext = null;

        try {
            // Validate input file
            if (!sourceFile.exists() || !sourceFile.canRead()) {
                System.out.println("Source file does not exist or is not readable: " + sourceFile.getAbsolutePath());
                return;
            }
            
            // Validate output file path using the validateFileCreation method
            if (!validateFileCreation(destinationFile)) {
                return; // Exit if destination file validation fails
            }

            // Validate output file path
            if (destinationFile.getParentFile() == null || !destinationFile.getParentFile().exists()) {
                System.out.println("Output directory does not exist: " + destinationFile.getParentFile());
                return;
            }
            if (!destinationFile.getParentFile().canWrite()) {
                System.out.println("Output directory is not writable: " + destinationFile.getParentFile());
                return;
            }

            // Open input file
            inputFormatContext = avformat.avformat_alloc_context();
            if (avformat.avformat_open_input(inputFormatContext, sourceFile.getAbsolutePath(), null, null) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to open input file: " + sourceFile.getAbsolutePath());
                return;
            }

            // Find stream information
            if (avformat.avformat_find_stream_info(inputFormatContext, (PointerPointer) null) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to retrieve input stream information.");
                return;
            }

            // Find video stream
            int videoStreamIndex = avformat.av_find_best_stream(inputFormatContext, avutil.AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO, -1, -1, (AVCodec) null, 0);
            if (videoStreamIndex < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to find video stream in input file.");
                return;
            }

            // Initialize input codec context
            inputCodecContext = avcodec.avcodec_alloc_context3(null);
            avcodec.avcodec_parameters_to_context(inputCodecContext, inputFormatContext.streams(videoStreamIndex).codecpar());

            AVCodec decoder = avcodec.avcodec_find_decoder(inputCodecContext.codec_id());
            if (decoder == null || avcodec.avcodec_open2(inputCodecContext, decoder, (PointerPointer) null) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to open video decoder.");
                return;
            }

            // Allocate output format context
            if (avformat.avformat_alloc_output_context2(outputFormatContext, null, "mpegts", destinationFile.getAbsolutePath()) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to allocate output format context.");
                return;
            }

            // Initialize output codec
            AVCodec encoder = avcodec.avcodec_find_encoder_by_name("mpeg2video");
            if (encoder == null) {
                System.out.println("Failed to find MPEG2 video encoder.");
                return;
            }

            outputCodecContext = avcodec.avcodec_alloc_context3(encoder);
            if (outputCodecContext == null) {
                System.out.println("Failed to allocate output codec context.");
                return;
            }
            
            if ((outputFormatContext.oformat().flags() & avformat.AVFMT_GLOBALHEADER) != 0) {
                outputCodecContext.flags(outputCodecContext.flags() | avcodec.AV_CODEC_FLAG_GLOBAL_HEADER);
            }


            //outputCodecContext.codec_id(avcodec.AV_CODEC_ID_MPEG2VIDEO);
            outputCodecContext.codec_id(encoder.id());
            outputCodecContext.codec_type(avutil.AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO);
            outputCodecContext.width(1920);
            outputCodecContext.height(1080);
            outputCodecContext.pix_fmt(avutil.AV_PIX_FMT_YUV420P);
            outputCodecContext.time_base(avutil.av_make_q(1, 25));
            outputCodecContext.bit_rate(4000000);
            outputCodecContext.gop_size(12);

            if ((outputFormatContext.oformat().flags() & avformat.AVFMT_GLOBALHEADER) != 0) {
                outputCodecContext.flags(outputCodecContext.flags() | avcodec.AV_CODEC_FLAG_GLOBAL_HEADER);
            }

            
            
            if (avcodec.avcodec_open2(outputCodecContext, encoder, (PointerPointer) null) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to open video encoder.");
                return;
            }

            // Create output stream
            AVStream videoStream = avformat.avformat_new_stream(outputFormatContext, encoder);
            if (videoStream == null) {
                System.out.println("Failed to create video stream.");
                return;
            }

            avcodec.avcodec_parameters_from_context(videoStream.codecpar(), outputCodecContext);
            
            System.out.println("Destination file path before trying to open the file is: " + destinationFile);

            if ((outputFormatContext.oformat().flags() & avformat.AVFMT_NOFILE) == 0) {
                // Ensure the output path has the correct extension
                String outputPath = destinationFile.getAbsolutePath().replace("\\", "/") + ".avchd";
                System.out.println("Normalized output path: " + outputPath);

                // Try opening the output file
                int ret = avformat.avio_open(outputFormatContext.pb(), outputPath, avformat.AVIO_FLAG_WRITE);
                if (ret < 0) {
                    BytePointer errorBuffer = new BytePointer(avutil.AV_ERROR_MAX_STRING_SIZE);
                    avutil.av_strerror(ret, errorBuffer, errorBuffer.capacity());
                    System.out.println("Failed to open output file: " + errorBuffer.getString());
                    return;
                }
            }


            // Write header
            if (avformat.avformat_write_header(outputFormatContext, (PointerPointer) null) < 0) {
                System.out.println("Failed to write header to output file.");
                return;
            }


            // Packet processing loop
            AVPacket packet = new AVPacket();
            while (avformat.av_read_frame(inputFormatContext, packet) >= 0) {
                if (packet.stream_index() == videoStreamIndex) {
                    if (avcodec.avcodec_send_packet(inputCodecContext, packet) >= 0) {
                        AVFrame frame = avutil.av_frame_alloc();
                        while (avcodec.avcodec_receive_frame(inputCodecContext, frame) >= 0) {
                            if (avcodec.avcodec_send_frame(outputCodecContext, frame) >= 0) {
                                AVPacket encodedPacket = new AVPacket();
                                while (avcodec.avcodec_receive_packet(outputCodecContext, encodedPacket) >= 0) {
                                    encodedPacket.stream_index(videoStream.index());
                                    avformat.av_interleaved_write_frame(outputFormatContext, encodedPacket);
                                    avcodec.av_packet_unref(encodedPacket);
                                }
                            }
                            avutil.av_frame_unref(frame);
                        }
                        avutil.av_frame_free(frame);
                    }
                }
                avcodec.av_packet_unref(packet);
            }

            // Write trailer
            avformat.av_write_trailer(outputFormatContext);
            System.out.println("Conversion completed successfully.");
            
            if (avcodec.avcodec_send_frame(outputCodecContext, null) >= 0) {
                AVPacket encodedPacket = new AVPacket();
                while (avcodec.avcodec_receive_packet(outputCodecContext, encodedPacket) >= 0) {
                    encodedPacket.stream_index(videoStream.index());
                    avformat.av_interleaved_write_frame(outputFormatContext, encodedPacket);
                    avcodec.av_packet_unref(encodedPacket);
                }
            }

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            // Cleanup
            avcodec.avcodec_free_context(inputCodecContext);
            avcodec.avcodec_free_context(outputCodecContext);
            avformat.avformat_close_input(inputFormatContext);

            if (outputFormatContext != null && outputFormatContext.pb() != null) {
                avformat.avio_closep(outputFormatContext.pb());
            }
            avformat.avformat_free_context(outputFormatContext);
        }
    }
    
    private boolean validateFileCreation(File destinationFile) {
        // Check if the parent directory exists and is writable
        File parentDir = destinationFile.getParentFile();
        if (parentDir == null || !parentDir.exists()) {
            System.out.println("Parent directory does not exist: " + parentDir);
            return false;
        }
        if (!parentDir.canWrite()) {
            System.out.println("Cannot write to parent directory: " + parentDir);
            return false;
        }

        // Check if the file exists and is writable
        if (destinationFile.exists()) {
            if (!destinationFile.canWrite()) {
                System.out.println("Destination file is not writable: " + destinationFile);
                return false;
            }
        } else {
            // If the file doesn't exist, try to create it to verify writability
            try {
                if (!destinationFile.createNewFile()) {
                    System.out.println("Unable to create destination file: " + destinationFile);
                    return false;
                }
                // Delete the file after successful creation to avoid residual files
                destinationFile.delete();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println("File creation failed: " + e.getMessage());
                return false;
            }
        }

        return true;
    }
    
}




  


  A few caveats :

  


  


  1. I did explore FFmpeg and GStreamer for this project. GStreamer was inconclusive, with available version for it that were too old for use with my current state of STS4.27 and Java 17, even if this version of Java is under long-term support...

     


  


  2. I've used AI to tell me about the options and suggest ways to build this thing, since multimedia handling is very far away from my skillset. I don't have a good conceptual grasp of video formats and how they transfrom from one to another.

     


  


  


  The issue, as I have identified it, occurs at these lines :

  


   // Ensure the destination file is writable
                    if (!destinationFile.canWrite()) {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Output file is not writable.", "File Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return;
                    }


  


  ^^ And this, while temporarily commented out for testing, it meant to compensate for an issue that occurs here in the conversion function :

  


   if ((outputFormatContext.oformat().flags() & avformat.AVFMT_NOFILE) == 0) {
                // Ensure the output path has the correct extension
                String outputPath = destinationFile.getAbsolutePath().replace("\\", "/") + ".avchd";
                System.out.println("Normalized output path: " + outputPath);

                // Try opening the output file
                int ret = avformat.avio_open(outputFormatContext.pb(), outputPath, avformat.AVIO_FLAG_WRITE);
                if (ret < 0) {
                    BytePointer errorBuffer = new BytePointer(avutil.AV_ERROR_MAX_STRING_SIZE);
                    avutil.av_strerror(ret, errorBuffer, errorBuffer.capacity());
                    System.out.println("Failed to open output file: " + errorBuffer.getString());
                    return;
                }
            }


  


  The idea here is that the avio_open() function requires the use of the a valid file path that it can open to be able to write it.

  


  Padadoxically, the file conversion seems to work, but the project crashes with a fatal error in the console :

  


  Selected file: E:\TestConveresions\sample_960x540.mov
Save location: E:\TestConveresions
Converting MOV to AVCHD...
Destination file path before trying to open the file is: E:\TestConveresions\sample_960x540_20241231
Normalized output path: E:/TestConveresions/sample_960x540_20241231.avchd
#
# A fatal error has been detected by the Java Runtime Environment:
#
#  EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) at pc=0x00007ffcffb0868b, pid=11020, tid=14436
#
# JRE version: OpenJDK Runtime Environment Temurin-21.0.5+11 (21.0.5+11) (build 21.0.5+11-LTS)
# Java VM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Temurin-21.0.5+11 (21.0.5+11-LTS, mixed mode, emulated-client, sharing, tiered, compressed oops, compressed class ptrs, g1 gc, windows-amd64)
# Problematic frame:
# C  0x00007ffcffb0868b
#
# No core dump will be written. Minidumps are not enabled by default on client versions of Windows
#
# An error report file with more information is saved as:
# E:\STS4 Workspace\MMConverter\hs_err_pid11020.log
[80.882s][warning][os] Loading hsdis library failed
#
# If you would like to submit a bug report, please visit:
#   https://github.com/adoptium/adoptium-support/issues
# The crash happened outside the Java Virtual Machine in native code.
# See problematic frame for where to report the bug.
#
[AVFormatContext @ 000002528adcea40] Opening 'E:\TestConveresions\sample_960x540.mov' for reading
[file @ 000002528ae51c40] Setting default whitelist 'file,crypto,data'
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Format mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 probed with size=2048 and score=100
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] ISO: File Type Major Brand: qt  
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Unknown dref type 0x206c7275 size 12
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Processing st: 0, edit list 0 - media time: 2002, duration: 400410
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Offset DTS by 2002 to make first pts zero.
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Setting codecpar->delay to 2 for stream st: 0
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] Before avformat_find_stream_info() pos: 1320742 bytes read:38225 seeks:1 nb_streams:1
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 7(SPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] Decoding VUI
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 8(PPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 7(SPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] Decoding VUI
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 8(PPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 5(IDR), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] Format yuv420p chosen by get_format().
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] Reinit context to 960x544, pix_fmt: yuv420p
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] no picture 
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] All info found
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 000002528adcea40] After avformat_find_stream_info() pos: 51943 bytes read:90132 seeks:2 frames:1
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 7(SPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] Decoding VUI
[h264 @ 000002528ae62780] nal_unit_type: 8(PPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
[mpeg2video @ 000002528ae8e700] intra_quant_bias = 96 inter_quant_bias = 0



  


  If I refer to the error log, I get this. It is partial, as I'm not sure SO will take all of it (quite long), but still might have enough to be relevant :

  


  Host: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8550U CPU @ 1.80GHz, 8 cores, 31G,  Windows 11 , 64 bit Build 26100 (10.0.26100.2454)


---------------  T H R E A D  ---------------

Current thread (0x00000252d030b340):  JavaThread "AWT-EventQueue-0"        [_thread_in_native, id=14436, stack(0x000000a4e2b00000,0x000000a4e2c00000) (1024K)]

Stack: [0x000000a4e2b00000,0x000000a4e2c00000],  sp=0x000000a4e2bfdf30,  free space=1015k
Native frames: (J=compiled Java code, j=interpreted, Vv=VM code, C=native code)
C  0x00007ffcffb0868b

Java frames: (J=compiled Java code, j=interpreted, Vv=VM code)
j  org.bytedeco.ffmpeg.global.avformat.avio_open(Lorg/bytedeco/ffmpeg/avformat/AVIOContext;Ljava/lang/String;I)I+0
j  home.multimeida.mmconverter.MMConverterInterface.convertMovToAvchd(Ljava/io/File;Ljava/io/File;)V+1120
j  home.multimeida.mmconverter.MMConverterInterface.lambda$2(Ljavax/swing/JRadioButton;Ljavax/swing/JRadioButton;Ljava/awt/event/ActionEvent;)V+347
j  home.multimeida.mmconverter.MMConverterInterface$$Lambda+0x000002528c0c7778.actionPerformed(Ljava/awt/event/ActionEvent;)V+13
j  javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Ljava/awt/event/ActionEvent;)V+84 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(Ljava/awt/event/ActionEvent;)V+5 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Ljava/awt/event/ActionEvent;)V+34 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Z)V+117 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(Ljava/awt/event/MouseEvent;)V+35 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Ljava/awt/event/MouseEvent;)V+64 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Ljava/awt/event/MouseEvent;)V+23 java.desktop@21.0.5
J 2581 c1 java.awt.Component.processEvent(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (220 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa62719c [0x00000252fa627020+0x000000000000017c]
J 2580 c1 java.awt.Container.processEvent(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (22 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa627d9c [0x00000252fa627cc0+0x00000000000000dc]
J 2406 c1 java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (785 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa670f14 [0x00000252fa670040+0x0000000000000ed4]
J 2325 c1 java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (129 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa64e93c [0x00000252fa64e8a0+0x000000000000009c]
J 2608 c1 java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Ljava/awt/Component;ILjava/awt/event/MouseEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (372 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa61c364 [0x00000252fa61b9e0+0x0000000000000984]
J 2578 c1 java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Ljava/awt/event/MouseEvent;)Z java.desktop@21.0.5 (268 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa628a54 [0x00000252fa6284c0+0x0000000000000594]
J 2474 c1 java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)Z java.desktop@21.0.5 (73 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa699bbc [0x00000252fa699a60+0x000000000000015c]
J 2325 c1 java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (129 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa64e914 [0x00000252fa64e8a0+0x0000000000000074]
J 2473 c1 java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (23 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa699654 [0x00000252fa6994e0+0x0000000000000174]
J 1838 c1 java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;Ljava/lang/Object;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (139 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa3bec64 [0x00000252fa3beb20+0x0000000000000144]
J 1837 c1 java.awt.EventQueue$4.run()Ljava/lang/Void; java.desktop@21.0.5 (60 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa3c0504 [0x00000252fa3c0460+0x00000000000000a4]
J 1836 c1 java.awt.EventQueue$4.run()Ljava/lang/Object; java.desktop@21.0.5 (5 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa3c0a04 [0x00000252fa3c09c0+0x0000000000000044]
J 1778 c1 java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(Ljava/security/PrivilegedAction;Ljava/security/AccessControlContext;Ljava/security/AccessControlContext;)Ljava/lang/Object; java.base@21.0.5 (22 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa4601d4 [0x00000252fa45ffa0+0x0000000000000234]
J 1832 c1 java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Ljava/awt/AWTEvent;)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (80 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa44f14c [0x00000252fa44eae0+0x000000000000066c]
J 1846 c1 java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(I)V java.desktop@21.0.5 (106 bytes) @ 0x00000252fa3ba544 [0x00000252fa3ba2e0+0x0000000000000264]
j  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(ILjava/awt/Conditional;Ljava/awt/EventFilter;)V+35 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(ILjava/awt/Conditional;Ljava/awt/Component;)V+11 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(ILjava/awt/Conditional;)V+4 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Ljava/awt/Conditional;)V+3 java.desktop@21.0.5
j  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run()V+9 java.desktop@21.0.5
v  ~StubRoutines::call_stub 0x00000252fa08100d

siginfo: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005), writing address 0x0000000000000000



  


  If anyone has a perspective on this, it'd be appreciated.

  


  The catch 22 in this project is that pre-creating the file is not a good idea, since avio_open has a purpose in-built method for that (I tried). Error checking everything about Java's File class in terms of setting pathways and creating and deleting files is not problematic. Likewise, permissions are all fine (Full Control in source and target folders) ; I've tested default C drive folders, which have restritions, to a separate volume and removable media, to no effect. Likewise, FFmpeg requires a forward slash, "/" in file paths, whereas Java does the backslash, generally. That's been handled with the replace method in the above conditioning, also to no effect.

  


  The basic contradiction in the project seems to be that the error tries open a file that does not exist, with a valid source and destination file, and if I try to create a placeholder file wiht an acvhd extension at the event handling for the Convert button, it still errors out ; meanwhile, FFmpeg allegedly handles the file creation at its core, but requires a valid path to be passed ; I've tried with and without a filename, with and without an extension. I'm not able to resovle it.

  


  The excessive error handling conditions are in an effort to isolate the problem, which I think I've done.

  


  There also seems to be a compatibility between mpegts and acvhd, which is why I also had that format specified in the conversion function, without result.

  


  I also have the idea to be able to do this without having to install any libraries locally or having to set path variables, which is an aspect that both GStreamer and FFmpeg have.

  


  Nearest suggestion I've found is this : integrate ffmpeg with spring boot

  


  AI remains hopeless for resolving this issue.