F8(1) vs multimedia production(0)

[Ed Greshko]

Lyvim Xaphir wrote:
> On Thu, 2008-08-14 at 10:02 +0800, Ed Greshko wrote:
>> Gene Heskett wrote:
>>
>>> I've been with redhat/fedora for a bit over 10 years now for my main machine.  
>>> When F8 support ends, I think that will be grounds for a divorce.  I'm tired 
>>> of the "keep the good stuff on the other side of the pond for legal reasons" 
>>> BS that is endlessly repeated from Research Triangle Park.  Why the hell 
>>> should we be 2nd class citizens?
>> This "issue" has been discussed ad nauseum on this list.
> Yeah, with you providing the nauseum part of it.

Don't think so...  But you are certainly welcome to your opinion.

>> What is your solution?  Does Red Hat allow the Fedora Project to include all 
>> the bits and subject themselves to litigation?  Not include anything related 
>> to multimedia?  Point their users to places to pick things up...and subject 
>> themselves to litigation?
> 
> Litigation from who, exactly?  Who is going to sue RH for providing a
> service that makes the OS actually function correctly after decades of
> development?  Time is up, we are into the epoch of absurdity with the
> question of functionality.  The only thing breaching the functionality
> issue is a dumbass ideology that needs to be decided in court.

Me thinks you've not researched this too much.  This has 0 to do with O/S 
functionality.

What is being talked about is, for example, the fact that RH/Fedora does not 
provide the tools or libraries to play MP3 (for example) since MP3 requires 
that one obtain a license and pay royalties to those entities owning the 
particular patents.

Have a gander at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3#Licensing_and_patent_issues

Also, you can do yourself a favor and do some research about the Music and 
Video industry and find when they have sued to protect their rights.  You 
will learn why RH/Fedora doesn't include or give pointers to libdvdcss.

Hope you do some research to learn the issues.