On Thu, Aug 21, 2003 at 10:55:12PM -0700, Paul C. Bryan wrote: > My question is: what are the guidelines on packaging code that has > patented technology? Does GIMP's GIF support get distributed because > Unisys is not actively enforcing its LZW patent, while LAME does not get > distributed because Fraunhofer is actively enforcing its MP3 patent? No, Unisys is very actively enforcing its patent. It is acceptable to distribute LZW in non-free because it can be used for non-commercial purposes only, which would make it eligible for non-free. With LAME, Frauenhofer requires that for every copy of an MP3 encoder, somewhere around $.50 to $.75 be charged (I didn't look this up, so don't blame me if this is wrong; look it up yourself) per copy. Debian doesn't want to assume the responsibility for reporting, etc. to Fraunhofer, especially since SPI is a US (Indiana?) corporation. Generally, if a patented technology is only licensed under non-free terms, it will be put in non-free, unless it requires affirmative action on the part of Debian (like the MP3 patent), in which case Debian will refuse to package it at all. Some patented technologies, such as the encryption algorithm CAST-128 [0], are available for use under DFSG-free terms, and so may be placed in main, assuming the software implementing them is also DFSG-free. > [1] http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/unable-to-package.en.html [0] http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2144.txt -- Brian M. Carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.ath.cx> 0x560553e7 "Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable. Let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all." --Douglas Adams
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