Fedora not "free" enough for GNU?

Paul paul at all-the-johnsons.co.uk
Mon Sep 8 10:36:40 UTC 2008


Hi,

> > Though I'm perhaps a bit confused by exactly how the rules with
> > respect to following upstream are applied for cases like this, since
> > are there not some packages which are perpetually patched to remove
> > the MP3 codec, for example?
> 
> The MP3 codec is illegal to distribute in the states (where Redhat is), but 
> free software. Flash on the other hand is free to distribute, but closed 
> source.

Um, I thought that it was unclear as to what the patent for MP3 might
actually be (there is a hell of a fuss over in Europe as to if anyone
has the right to patent such things - it is unclear over here if the
company involved has the right to patent it as there is prior art over
the psychoacoustic model used, it is also unclear in the US over if the
company involved has such a patent) and rather than risk anything,
Fedora (and redhat before that) decided to drop mp3 support and let the
likes of Livna do the support in xmms for mp3.

Clean hands and all that...

TTFN

Paul
-- 
Sie können mich aufreizen und wirklich heiß machen!
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 197 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/attachments/20080908/c424a5e0/attachment.sig>


More information about the fedora-devel-list mailing list