Fluendo MP3 GStreamer Plugin in Main for Dapper?

[David Hart]

On Tue, Dec 27, 2005 at 11:00:52AM +0100, Dennis Kaarsemaker wrote:
> 
> It is indeed still not completely free (as far as I understand it ubuntu
> users are still not allowed to modify the source provided by Ubuntu and
> distribute that source or the resulting binaries).
> 
> It is however the best license so far for an mp3 codec since it actually
> makes it legal for Ubuntu to provide the mp3 codec this and might make
> this gstreamer plugin a candidate for restricted.

Has anyone looked at the contract on Fluendo's site that a distributor
would be required to sign?  From my reading, it would seem that Fluendo
do not have the rights to sub-licence the patent for re-distribution
(I would not expect the original patent holders to allow that anyway).

Further, although the press release says that no money will change
hands there is clearly a section in the contract which asks for
payment.  What is not clear to me, however, is how much.  IANAL etc,
but I wonder whether that section would be interpreted to mean payment
of 2 euros for _each_ copy of the source and binary that is shipped
(which would be more than the cost of a licence from the original
patent holders, IIRC).

-- 
David Hart <ubuntu at tonix.org>