Re: mpeg encoder patents, Was: Bug#501190: ITP: moonlight

[Clint Adams <schizo@debian.org>]

On Wed, Oct 08, 2008 at 04:37:26PM -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>         So don't. Don't put any of the patent encumbered sources in main
>  either -- there is nothing that says patent infringement does not
>  happen as source code.
> 
>         That would meet the current policy as well.
> 
>         the patent encumbered software would then be treated much like
>  we do non-free. Might not have much of an OS left, after that, but
>  hey. We will have stopped pretending that patent enforcement is one of
>  our responsibilities or that we expose ourself to any kind of liability
>  by distributing code that may or may not be patent-encumbered. 

What? No. By identifying and trying to keep out patent-encumbered
sources, we do exactly the opposite.