Re: XMMS and the new MP3 patent terms
The XMMS people are probably right that they don't need to change
anything, because they are not selling XMMS.
Red Hat was right to remove MP3 players, because Red Hat is selling its
distribution.
Technically, Debian doesn't sell its distribution, so in theory Debian
shouldn't have to change anything.
But Debian does encourgage people to sell CD-ROMs of whatever is not in
non-free. If someone were to include an MP3 player on a Debian CD-ROM
and sell it, that person would be violating the MP3 licensing terms. As
a courtesy to those who sell Debian CD's, and to avoid any possibility
of being charged as an accessory to patent infringement, Debian should
put MP3 players into non-free and remind people not to sell CD-ROMs of
that archive.
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