US version of Ubuntu?

I decided to create a poll about the usage of illegal (at least in some countries) software in Linux.

It's about patented multimedia codecs and fonts.


If you have additional options to vote in mind don't hesitate to post them and I will add them.

It's legal where I live (EU for example) and I try very hard not to use it.
I will use patented s/w that is not actively enforced, however I try very hard not to use mp3 s/w, because that patent is very much actively enforced (but sometimes I need to convert an mp3 to ogg). Software patents are absurd and we should all boycott those actively enforced. Sorry, but I couldn't quite fit in to the poll.

Don't like it, but I use it. But now that I got a ogg vorbis portable player, my music is always ripped in ogg vorbis or flac.

wmv is a format I really don't like. It's a shame that the internet's full of it. So I have to use it sometimes. Looking forward too ogg theora getting better. We need a good open video format

It's legal (as far as I know) where I live, and I use it.

If things like the free codecs were illegal, I would more than likely purchase a license to use them legally (something like the fluendo codecs I imagine). I have no qualms about using proprietary software.

well, i have my music in more or less only ogg, but still have mp3 support, but the patent holders are happy with this anyways...

I have no idea what's legal or not in Linux. Windows, yes, but other than that, I may be using some illegal codec and have no idea.

OMIF

Perhaps another voting option added:

I haven't a clue what's illegal in Linux

Where do you live? If in the US all the mp3, divx, mp4, quicktime, dvd stuff is illegal because of the recognition of software patents.

US, Yikes. What does that leave for Linux then as far as media ability?

OMIF

Well, not much for Distributions like Ubuntu...

You could buy Linspire for about $50, they have licenses to use these codecs.

Well that was a shock to me. I thought Linux had at least a match for anything Windblows platform could do. So anything DVD, mp3, mp4, quicktime, etc...is illegal. Well, this doesn't bode well for me sticking with Ubuntu then or any linux OS for that matter. What about ogg ? Isn't that legal?

ogg/vorbis (audio) and ogg/theora (video) are legal in the US.


"Funny" thing is I have to fly to the US twice a year for work and I really have to remove all the codecs. It wouldn't be that funny to get a lawsuit after my laptops get's checked because the think my name sounds arabic...

No, I suppose not. Well that certainly sucks.


OMIF

Fluendo offers their gstreamer plugin for mp3 playback for free. They also run a webstore that has a bunch of gstreamer plugins, though it runs like 30 Euro for the lot of them.

If it's any consolation, IP laws restricting codec redistribution are pretty much unenforceable. What, are they going to impound every Linux user's hard drive and search for copies of libdvdcss when there are terrorists to catch ?

Good point but wouldn't they simply do a trace where the download was made? Just an i.p trace? It would be no different than music downloading tactics. Of course unless you mean they don't typically mess with these. I know for a fact some codecs got installed w\o warning from some programs in synaptic, I am just wondering which as one or two do come to mind as questionable. In Ubuntu forums, some people seem very adamant about these illegal codecs and that they should not be used. Just when you think you got the perfect OS....

30€ are 40$, that's a lot of cash. Furthermore buying these licensed solutions just strengthens the position of the intellectual property and software patent lobbies.

It's legal where I live but I couldn't care less as I think patents are stoopid.

To the best of my knowledge, law enforcement generally hasn't tried to punish codec infringement on the part of end-users. A lot of projects operate overseas (for instance, Mplayer operates in Eastern Europe), so the best that law enforcement can do to get traffic logs is ask politely.

They could try to subpoena your ISP just in case somebody using that ISP has downloaded it (they'd have a lot of ISP's to talk to, in that case), but the sheer amount of data they were requesting would require them to go through enough red tape not to make it worth it for something as widespread and harmless as codec infringement.True. I'm just saying that you're not totally devoid of options if you want legal codecs on Linux, and $40 is still a lot less than a legitimate copy of Windows or OS X.

I see. And after reading much about the subject, it seems the patent was once again used simply to corner the market and basically abused the codec patent. It makes no sense really and is a stupid patent after reading some of the ins and outs. It needs to seriously be done away with.


OMIF

Having too pay for multimedia codecs on linux would defenitely kill it. I mean, why pay 40$ for a valid working linux installation, when you bassicly get Windows for free.

I for one doesn't know of a person that has actually ever purchased Windows. But they all use it anyway.

It's legal where I live (UK, still within the EU, thank God) and I do use this stuff. Partly because I want RealMedia playback, but mostly because nasty corporations who use patents in bizarre, unnatural ways would rather I didn't.

Additionally, crippled US version of Ubuntu? Ridiculous stuff and for several reasons.

1) There's absolutely no way the knowledgeable US Ubuntu userbase would stand for it. They'd switch within days and Canonical would lose the entire US market.
2) It's hardly in keeping with the spirit of the Free Software Definition.
3) rms would hate Canonical forever if they did this, and suggest either a fork or just switching distros, and while everyone calls rms a fruitcake, they still listen to him in the end.
4) People would hate Canonical for it. Even moreso than people hated Novell for the awful patent covenant. In the tightly-knit Linux community, the support of the community matters more than life itself.
5) If the nasty corporations were going to sue, they'd have done it already. Microsoft for one has shown conclusively that they're willing to sacrifice their dignity in exchange for legal prowess.
6) If the nasty corporations were going to sue, they'd sue the Penguin Liberation Front for providing the packages rather than going after every distro that uses them. Cutting off the head is easier than going for one of a million arms.
7) If the nasty corporations were going to sue, they'd make a lot of noise and FUDish sounding press releases before actually resorting to taking on the most loved Linux distro in the history of the universe.