Fedora was right about MP3!

[mbokil]

I was reading this article on the BBC's website about how Microsoft is being sued for MP3 patent violations and it occurred to me that all this time the open source people were right! Users still complain about why Fedora doesn't come with proprietary MP3 decoders and encoders. Fedora made the right decision about not bundling proprietary software. I wonder if linux distributions that ship MP3 software will soon become the next target of the MP3 license people.

It seems like there is an important lesson to be learned here. If it is not free and you include it you could possibly have to pay for making your free distribution not so free in the end!

[Caraibes]

-So when is it that we'll see mainstream media promote Ogg Vorbis ?

[jim]

-So when is it that we'll see mainstream media promote Ogg Vorbis ?

Good Question..

When will the main Linux players combine $$$ and launch a massive ad campaign showing some of the different Linux distros with beryl and the differnet setup no spyware viruses open office and all installable for free.

[JonC]

Good Question..

When will the main Linux players combine $$$ and launch a massive ad campaign showing some of the different Linux distros with beryl and the differnet setup no spyware viruses open office and all installable for free.

when the hardware manufacturers get off their chairs and ensure that all common hardware "just works". Until then, advertising will just bring a whole load of irate users ranting about how linux is rubbish because their $SHINY_NEW_TOY doesn't work. (forgetting of course that it doesn't with windows, it's only by the manufacturers writing drivers that it does)

[Dies]

-So when is it that we'll see mainstream media promote Ogg Vorbis ?

Promotion is pointless, I've said it before and I'll say it again, If people want .ogg to become the dominant format all that needs to be done is to flood the torrent sites and p2p networks with the latest and greatest but encoded in .ogg, you also have to include the codec or instructions on how to play the files, for example just include a README explaining how superior .ogg is and then link to VLC.

Users don't really care what it's encoded in as long as they can play the file.

Or if you're really serious, getting Apple to support it would kill mp3 quickly, not that Apple would ever do that but.......

[Caraibes]

If people want .ogg to become the dominant format all that needs to be done is to flood the torrent sites and p2p networks with the latest and greatest but encoded in .ogg, you also have to include the codec or instructions on how to play the files, for example just include a README explaining how superior .ogg is and then link to VLC.

Users don't really care what it's encoded in as long as they can play the file.

indeed, it makes sense... I've never thought about it that way, but you have a very valid point !

[alfin akhret]

Promotion is pointless, I've said it before and I'll say it again, If people want .ogg to become the dominant format all that needs to be done is to flood the torrent sites and p2p networks with the latest and greatest but encoded in .ogg, you also have to include the codec or instructions on how to play the files, for example just include a README explaining how superior .ogg is and then link to VLC.

Users don't really care what it's encoded in as long as they can play the file.

Or if you're really serious, getting Apple to support it would kill mp3 quickly, not that Apple would ever do that but.......

that's right..you got the point man...i mean it just about time when .ogg vorbis will get it's fame..and then we'll get a trully powerfull linux multimedia system...

[pparks1]

Fedora made the right decision about not bundling proprietary software.

Bundling in proprietary, non-open source software would be a little against the whole point of Linux...let alone the patent problems.

I wonder if linux distributions that ship MP3 software will soon become the next target of the MP3 license people.

Not likely....there is NO MONEY to go after here. The next target would likely be Apple followed closely by the portable MP3 player market.

It seems like there is an important lesson to be learned here.

Yes, these intellectual property patents are a bunch of garbage. I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft but they paid millions to license the technology....but now Alcatel comes back claiming that in retrospect it wasn't enough.......THAT'S PATHETIC.


Here was another discussion about this from a few days ago
http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/sho...&highlight=mp3

[Omega Blue]

Yes, these intellectual property patents are a bunch of garbage. I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft but they paid millions to license the technology....but now Alcatel comes back claiming that in retrospect it wasn't enough.......THAT'S PATHETIC.

I have been saying that software patents are such a load of ***** for ages. It's even worse that you don't even need to have something working, just some vague description of how the thing should work.

Tell me the system ain't broke.

[John the train]

A report of this shambles I read said that the root of it was that one of the creators of MP3 had worked for 2 different organisations, and through assignment of patents we now have two organisations holding patents which they claim apply to MP3.
Omega Blue, you said it!