[kwlug disc.] And people still question Distros that don't include MP3 capabilities

[Marcel Gagne]

Hello all,

On February 22, 2007 09:42:28 pm Raul Suarez wrote:
>
> Apparently now it's clear even for Microsoft that they
> shouldn't be using the MP3 format.

As I understand this story, Microsoft has actually been paying to use the MP3, 
just not the company the court has now accepted as the valid patent holder.

> And it should be obvious for others that they
> shouldn't be WAV formats.
>
> Save this link for the next time someone complains
> that their distro does not provide AVI, MP3 or other
> proprietary format support out of the box.

Actually, I would argue that this isn't an argument for not including MP3 (or 
fill in the blank) support, but an argument for patent reform and to show 
that software patents are just plain bad (not to mention stupid).  The fight 
shouldn't be against distros that are looking to support popular media 
formats, but against stupid laws and bogus patents (e.g. "my new audio codec 
flips every 32nd and 33rd bits in the audio stream therefore making it new 
and patentable"). 

Every once in a while, a little civil disobedience doesn't seem like such a 
bad idea, especially when it is something as lame as MP3 support (pun 
intended). Bad laws are just that; bad. 

Take care out there.

-- 
Marcel (Writer and Free Thinker at Large) Gagné
Note: This massagee wos nat speel or gramer-checkered.
Mandatory home page reference - http://www.marcelgagne.com/
Author of the "Moving to Linux" series of books
   and the all new, "Moving to Free Software"
Join the WFTL-LUG : http://www.marcelgagne.com/wftllugform.html