Red Hat's "Cowardice" against Software Patents

[Eric S. Raymond]

Jeff Spaleta <jspaleta at gmail.com>:
> On 4/4/06, Eric S. Raymond <esr at thyrsus.com> wrote:
> > No, but refusing to carry MP3 decoders when there is no patent block
> > on them is.
> 
> Why do you continue reiterating the assumption that there is no patent
> block on mp3 decoders?

I have not in fact made that assertion.  I don't regard the question as being
factually settled one way or the other.  

What I know atthis point is that Fraunhofer has a royalty schedule for 
decoders.  I don't know if there's an actual patent behind that.  My 
informant has expressed skepticism; I anm simply in fact-finding mode.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>