On 08/18/2009 10:29 AM, Raj Mathur wrote: > On Tuesday 18 Aug 2009, steve wrote: >> On 08/17/2009 11:36 PM, Raj Mathur wrote: > [snip] > > Actually, I don't see why they (Fedora) can't do that (have a US-only > distribution). Supporting other countries that don't have software > patents is not illegal even in the US, nor is it a crime to make > patented (in the US) software available from outside the US to non-US > residents. The patent laws do not prevent dissemination of information, > only dissemination and use of patented software in a specific > geographical domain. > > To be brutally frank, I consider a distribution trying to extend US laws > outside the US an unethical and hegemonistic activity, even if it is > done implicitly (as in the case of Fedora). Even 15 years ago other > distributions had official non-US repositories from where you could, > e.g., download crypto software that was illegal to export from the US. > Not permitting access to crypto at all just because of the laws of one > country, OTOH, is unacceptable; the same goes for patented-encumbered > software. > > It's quite possible I'm missing something here, so request anyone here > more clued about US patent restrictions in general and Fedora's policy > in particular to provide their opinions. >
Actually yes you are :). The reason Fedora doesn't support another distro, or for that matter non-US repos with mp3 support, is less to do with legal restrictions (of which there are some[1]) and more to do with the principle of the matter. They /too/ are opposed to the principle of software patents. They do not want to become hypocrites by opposing it on one hand and then just make it easy for anyone to ignore the matter by themselves providing an way to do so. More here: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Multimedia/MP3 cheers, - steve [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3#Licensing_and_patent_issues -- random non tech spiel: http://lonetwin.blogspot.com/ tech randomness: http://lonehacks.blogspot.com/ what i'm stumbling into: http://lonetwin.stumbleupon.com/ -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
