Joachim, > "Additionally, patent holders declined to enforce license fees on free > and open source decoders, which allows many free MP3 decoders to > develop.[42] Thus, while patent fees have been an issue for companies > that attempt to use MP3, they have not meaningfully impacted users, > which allows the format to grow in popularity."
Yeah it's a trap. Wolfgang On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 09:10:17PM +0200, Joachim Ott wrote: > 2009/9/10 Al Johnson <openm...@mazikeen.demon.co.uk>: > > On Thursday 10 September 2009, rakshat hooja wrote: > >> On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 8:20 AM, Wolfgang Spraul <wolfg...@qi- > > hardware.com>wrote: > >> > Rakshat, > >> > > >> > > > Actually Mplayer plays the MP3 with the user installed plugin > >> > > > (libmad > >> > > >> > or > >> > > >> > > eqvalent). Intone is just the frontend for Mplayer so no patent probs > >> > > >> > with > >> > > >> > > it > >> > > >> > Yes but we have to be careful that MP3 doesn't 'sneak in' somewhere. > >> > The moment anybody is selling a FreeRunner 'capable' of playing MP3, the > >> > patent guys have a case. 'Capable' can be a series of steps, including > >> > installing some software, etc. > >> > However, the moment those steps involve a resource out of control of the > >> > seller of the FreeRunner (say a random Internet URL), they have no case. > >> > > >> > Now with the vast pool of free software, what can easily happen is that > >> > MP3, > >> > MP4 etc. 'sneaks into' the product. Then someone downstream forgets that > >> > it's > >> > there, or it's very hard to remove, and falls into the trap. > >> > >> Yes I did follow the Openmoko Mp3 patent issues a long while back. > >> > >> I just wanted to ask you if things are ok re MP3 patents in the following > >> scenario > >> > >> We sell a device with no 'working' MP3 capablities but a preinstalled Music > >> player. The music player can take plugins and its website visibly > >> recommends downloading a plugin that enables MP3. Is the seller ok in this > >> situation re MP3 patents? > > > > That will depend on your local patent laws and, perhaps more importantly, > > whether you can afford to prove you're right. You'll have to ask a local > > patent lawyer about that. I doubt anyone on this list is qualified to give > > you > > an answer, so don't rely on anything you see here. > > From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3#Licensing_and_patent_issues > > "Additionally, patent holders declined to enforce license fees on free > and open source decoders, which allows many free MP3 decoders to > develop.[42] Thus, while patent fees have been an issue for companies > that attempt to use MP3, they have not meaningfully impacted users, > which allows the format to grow in popularity." > > hth > > _______________________________________________ > support mailing list > support@lists.openmoko.org > https://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/support _______________________________________________ support mailing list support@lists.openmoko.org https://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/support
