[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] Dynamic plugins loading

[Felipe Contreras]

On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 1:02 PM, Jason Garrett-Glaser
<darkshikari at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 3:53 AM, Jean-Baptiste Kempf <jb at videolan.org> wrote:
>> On Tue, Nov 02, 2010 at 11:40:34PM +0200, Felipe Contreras wrote :
>>> No. It's their own specific circumstances that allows them to use
>>> FFmpeg. Fedora has taken a stance against software that can be patent
>>> encumbered. Neither Ubuntu, Google, and VLC have any philosophical
>>> issues with patented codecs, so they can use FFmpeg just fine.
>> How can Fedora run at all when menus, double-click and most part of UIs
>> are patented?
>
> Freetards are only against "patented software" when it serves their
> agenda. ?When someone points out that their software violates patents,
> those cases don't matter. ?It's only when software they don't like
> violates patents that they oppose it.

H.264 is clearly owned by MPEG LA who claims to have the patents. You
distribute FFmpeg as-is without paying them, you risk being sued by
them.

Menus, double-click, etc. _might_ be owned by patents, but it's not
clear who, if any, would sue Fedora, and if the patent would be valid.
Besides, legally speaking it's better to not know you are violating a
patent, than knowingly do that, which wouldn't fly for H.264.

-- 
Felipe Contreras