Re: Software patents and Debian

[Weakish Jiang <weakish@gmail.com>]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> Weakish Jiang <weakish@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Why we have main/Non-US?
> 
> 1) We don't. The Packages file is empty these days.

So we can make use of it. :)

> 2) In order to avoid exporting cryptography out of the US when it was 
> illegal to do so, the code was placed on a server outside the US. It was 
> still legal to use this software in the US.
> 

That is to say, these files in main/Non-US is conform to the DFSG, we
don't put it in main just because we should respect the US law.

If we should avoid  exporting cryptography out of the US when it was
illegal to do so, and put the code on a server outside the US, IMO, we
should avoid distribute patented software when it was illegal to do so,
and place the code on a server outside the US.