china buying software

[Michael Haney]

On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 2:30 PM, Dotan Cohen <dotancohen at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 19:39, Cybe R. Wizard
> <cybe_r_wizard at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> In fact, upon further reflection I doubt that an illegal /version/ of
>> Linux is even possible.  The distribution (giving away, selling,
>> passing on) of a Linux copy may well be illegal, but the actual
>> software, the copy, can't be illegal if I am reading the GNU licenses
>> correctly. Once it is in the hands of the end user it is perfectly
>> legal.  The passing on of the copy is what is at question, not the
>> actual OS.
>> Therefore there cannot be /any/ illegal copies of Linux in China or
>> anywhere.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>
> The distro / install could be illegal if it includes non-FOSS
> components, such as mp3 codecs.
>

Most device makers that use Linux have a license from Fraunhaufer for
the MP3 codecs.  IMHO since MP3s are so prevalent these days the codec
should be open-sourced or at least made royalty free.

-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
"The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking
of morality by religion." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
"The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and
politics, but it is not the path to knowledge, and there is no place
for it in the endeavor of science. " ~ Carl Sagan

Visit My Site:  http://sites.google.com/site/thezorch/home-1
To Contact Me:
http://sites.google.com/site/thezorch/home-1/zorch-central---contacts

Free Your PC from the Bondage of Windows http://www.ubuntu.com