LinDVD

[norman]

< snip >
   
> The proprietary software that decodes the trivial encryption on DVDs has 
> to be licensed. So it's not capable of being included in an open source 
> distribution. LinDVD is a proprietary application that licenses that 
> software. The alternative to this proprietary software is the reverse 
> engineered DeCSS which is illegal to distribute, and I assume use, in 
> the U.S. (DMCA) and some other countries.  For those people living in 
> other countries where it is legal to use/distibute DeCSS (or if you 
> don't think the MPAA/DVD consortium will come a knocking at your door.) 
> DeCSS is available from the medibuntu repository.  Dell is distributing 
> LinDVD with it's Linux computers for the same reason it distributes 
> WinDVD with it's window boxes. So their customers can have legal DVD 
> viewing software. But don't be fooled, your not getting this for free in 
> any sense of the word, one, it's closed source and, two, the cost is 
> included in the price of the computer.
> 
> Some good links:
> 
> http://www.lemuria.org/DeCSS/
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCSS
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-scrambling_system
> 
> http://www.medibuntu.org/

Thank you very much for the explanation and the references. Subject
closed.

Norman