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Re: debian-multimedia.org gone?



John Hasler wrote:
Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. writes:
In some ways D-M is the replacement for the non-us section of yore.

No it isn't.  Non-us was for crypto software that could not[1] be
distributed from within the USA to people outside the USA without an
export license.  Such software could be distributed freely within the
USA and also imported into the USA.  This was a unique situation, quite
different from the usual one of some software being undistributable
within a country.  Debian-multimedia is primarily for patent encumbered
stuff where the patents are believed to be actively enforced.

There has been talk from time to time of a non-* network of repositories
as the USA is far from the only country where distribution of some Free
Software is restricted due to legal considerations.


[1]There is considerable doubt about the legality of these regulations,
at least with respect to source code (but they're gone so it's moot).

Good explanation John, thanks.

Hugo


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