I think something similar that's bugging Mplayer. (http://www.mplayerhq.hu)
-js $ -----Original Message----- $ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] $ [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] $ g] On Behalf Of Dhruv Gami $ Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 12:50 AM $ To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] $ Subject: [ilugd] Software Patents issue closes Knoppix $ $ $ $ This is scary stuff. $ $ http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html $ $ [follow link at bottom of this mail to get more details...] $ $ [Knoppix] Closed because of "Software-Patents" $ $ In the next few days, the European Parliament will decide $ about the legalisation and adoption of so-called "software $ patents" in Europe, which are already used by large companies $ in other countries to put competitors out of business. This $ can lead to the termination of many software projects such as $ KNOPPIX, at least within Europe, because the holders of the $ over 30,000 already granted "software patents" (currently $ without a legal foundation) can claim exclusive rights and $ collect license fees for trivial things like "progress bars", $ "mouseclicks on online order forms", "scrolling within a $ window" and similar. That way, software developers will have $ to pay the "software-patentholders" for using these features, $ even in their own, completely self-developed applications, $ which can completely stall the development of innovative $ software for small and medium companies. Apart from this, the $ expense for patent inquiries and legal assistence is high, $ for even trying to find out if the self-developed software is $ possibly violating "software-patents", if you want to $ continue to market your software. Contrary to real patents, $ "software-patents" are, in the current draft, monopolization $ of business ideas and methods, even without any tangible $ technical implementation. $ $ More about the current major problem at $ http://swpat.ffii.org/index.en.html $ $ regards, $ Gami $ $ $ _______________________________________________ $ ilugd mailing list $ [EMAIL PROTECTED] $ http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd $ _______________________________________________ ilugd mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd
