Re: Enabling and installing of "risky" ("patented") codecs - made easy

[Moritz Muehlenhoff <jmm@inutil.org>]

Fabian Greffrath wrote:
> You all know about the unsatisfying situation of some codec libraries 
> that are commonly called 'risky' or 'patented'; namely lame, xvid and 
> friends. While being perfectly free software on the one hand, licensed 
> under the GPL or LGPL, they are surrounded by a cloud of patent FUD or 
> even actual threat, which makes them unsuitable for Debian's main 
> section [0]. Nevertheless on the user's side there is a demand for those 
> codecs which can be whitnessed by the broad acceptance of unofficial 
> repositories [see: http://popcon.debian.org/unknown/by_inst ]. 
> Furthermore, there is nothing that might hold users back from using this 
> software in Europe, because IIRC software patents do not exist on this 
> continent.

We should just create a separate archive like non-us, e.g. non-pat,
which's primary host would reside somewhere where multimedia software
patents are moot. (I suppose france would be alright, since debian-
multimedia is hosted there). d-i should offer to add these sources.

Cheers,
        Moritz