[MPlayer-DOCS] CVS: homepage index.html,1.26,1.27

[Diego Biurrun CVS]

CVS change done by Diego Biurrun CVS

Update of /cvsroot/mplayer/homepage
In directory mail:/var2/tmp/cvs-serv21953

Modified Files:
	index.html 
Log Message:
updated and rephrased version of the software patent info


Index: index.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/mplayer/homepage/index.html,v
retrieving revision 1.26
retrieving revision 1.27
diff -u -r1.26 -r1.27
--- index.html	4 Jun 2005 18:33:40 -0000	1.26
+++ index.html	5 Jun 2005 21:42:32 -0000	1.27
@@ -22,38 +22,42 @@
 
 <p>
 <strong>
-	MPlayer is seriously threatened by software patents due to the
-	numerous patented multimedia techniques. Also threatened
-	are the many programs built upon MPlayer and the other
-	free software multimedia players, like
+	Multimedia is an impenetrable
+	<a href="http://wiki.ffii.org/Mpegla05En">patent thicket</a>.
+	All important techniques, formats and standards are covered by broad
+	and trivial patents that harm progress and make independent
+	implementations hard or impossible. Thus MPlayer and the
+	other free software multimedia players, like
 	<a href="http://xinehq.de/">xine</a>,
 	<a href="http://videolan.org/vlc/">VLC</a>,
 	<a href="http://avifile.sf.net/">avifile</a>,
 	<a href="http://gstreamer.net/">gstreamer</a>
 	and especially <a href="http://ffmpeg.org/">FFmpeg</a>, which
-	provides the framework all of the above players use.
+	provides the framework all of the above players use, are seriously
+	threatened by software patents. Already companies are succeeding
+	at driving multimedia libraries out of existence with
+	<a href="http://videolan.org/libdca.html">legal threats</a>.
 </strong>
 </p>
 
 <p>
-	Multimedia is a patent minefield. All important techniques and formats
-	are covered by broad and trivial patents that are harming progress and
-	alternative implementations, such as free software multimedia players.
-</p>
-
-<p>
-	The European council has just passed its directive on software patents,
+	The Council of the European Union has adopted it's so-called
+	"Common	Position" on software patents,
 	<a href="http://wiki.ffii.org/Cons050307En">violating democratic rules and procedures</a>
-	to the sole benefit of big non-European corporation and Ireland and
-	to the detriment of small and medium sized businesses (which comprise
-	99% of the European software industry) and free software.
+	to the sole benefit of big multinational (mostly non-European)
+	corporations and Ireland and to the detriment of small and medium
+	sized businesses (which comprise the majority of the European
+	software industry) and free software.
 </p>
 
 <p>
-	The European parliament will now be taking the last stand against
-	software patents in a voting for which an absolute majority is
-	needed. Such a majority is hard to come by in a parliament with a
-	low attendance level.
+	If the European Parliament fails to rally an absolute majority (367)
+	of all members of the European Parliament - not just an absolute
+	majority of the attending members - for substantial amendments in
+	July, then the Council's directive will become law and the hunting
+	season for US-style software patent enforcement in Europe will begin.
+	Such a majority is hard to come by in a parliament with a low
+	attendance level.
 </p>
 
 <p>
@@ -69,7 +73,7 @@
 	<a href="http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/industry-at-risk.html">software patents are a bad idea in the first place</a>
 	and why they <strong>must</strong> attend that parliament session to
 	vote against them. Make it clear that they need to stop the
-	<a href="http://wiki.ffii.org/LtrFfiiCons050308En">machinations of the EU council</a>
+	<a href="http://wiki.ffii.org/LtrFfiiCons050308En">machinations of the Council of the European Union</a>
 	and reaffirm the power of the EU parliament, the only democratically
 	elected EU institution.
 	For in-depth information and starting points to get active visit the