Patent issues with automatic codec installation (was: Automatic installation of DVD CSS support)

Aaron Whitehouse lists at whitehouse.org.nz
Sun Dec 2 01:46:00 UTC 2007


> If the debate absolutely must take place then

I originally drafted a reply addressing each of the points people have
raised. I don't agree with a lot of what has been said, but I think I
can state my ultimate point a lot more succinctly.

The implicit suggestion in the above comments is that we shouldn't
have this discussion. If we naively continue distributing software
that we know is unlikely to be legal for some users, Ubuntu may be
exposed to legal threats. If Ubuntu doesn't have a reliable risk
assessment from lawyers in each country, perhaps the default position
should be one that we know is legal.

Presumably there is a reason that Fedora encourages people to pay
money and use Codec Buddy. Unless all of the Ubuntu team is confident
that their current stance is legal, perhaps they should take a safer
one until they have that level of comfort.

Aaron

-- 
FSF Associate Member: 5632
http://www.fsf.org




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