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Re: Patents and Multimedia codecs in Debian



On Wednesday 28 Mar 2012, Simon McVittie wrote:
> On 28/03/12 07:40, Alexey Eromenko wrote:
> > The Debian project includes a number of patent-encumbered
> > Multimedia codecs
> 
> As mentioned in Debian's patent policy
> <http://www.debian.org/legal/patent> point 3, "please refrain from
> posting patent concerns publicly or discussing patents outside of
> communication with legal counsel, where they are subject to
> attorney-client privilege".
> 
> Transparency and public discussion are usually good things, but
> patents are an area where they can be harmful.

Sorry, that just doesn't make sense.  In essence, that is foreclosing 
all peer-to-peer discussion about patents in the context of Debian.

I happen to be from a state that doesn't recognise software patents, and 
fail to see why the spectre of fear created by one single country should 
proscribe all free and open discussion and education about an issue that 
eventually (through Debian distributions) affects us all.

Regards,

-- Raj
-- 
Raj Mathur                          || raju@kandalaya.org   || GPG:
http://otheronepercent.blogspot.com || http://kandalaya.org || CC68
It is the mind that moves           || http://schizoid.in   || D17F


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