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Idea #212: Ability to Pay Ubuntu to licence codecs legaly?

bug This idea was marked as implemented the 25 September 11. Available starting Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron.
Written by loadbalancer the 28 Feb 08 at 20:50. Category: Others. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: Implemented
Rationale
Would it not be possible to negotiate a deal for MP3/DVD/MS Fonts etc?
The deal would enable patent/copyright holders to charge users on a per user basis for their proprietary code/designs/patents.

At the moment if I want a licence to record MP3s on Linux I need to pay the patent holder (thomson) an awful lot of money and negotiate a deal myself.
I believe the current bulk rate is
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Selected solution (#1): Auto-generated solution of idea #212
Written by loadbalancer the 28 Feb 08 at 20:50.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #212 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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neon wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 20:57
So just record OGGs instead. :P

dwolsten wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 23:36
Why do you need to pay Thomson to record MP3s? It's not like they have someone checking your computer for proper licenses. If you're so worried about Thomson getting their money, then you deal with this. No one else cares.

As for MS, they would never agree to any kind of deal like this. If you want MS stuff legally, you have to just buy Windows, and that's it. They'll never license their codecs separately.

stevendbrady wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 19:38
Actually, Microsoft has licensed their codecs in the past. Look at Linspire/Freespire. Those are from Microsoft directly. If they'll do it for them, they'd surely do it somewhere else.

And that's why there are (at least some) people that use those distributions.

Rinzwind wrote on the 20 Apr 08 at 21:07
Paying for this also means
= you are agreeing with patents.
= you are ditching one of the basic principles of Ubuntu: FREE software.
= loosing users to another Linux that does not do this.

We have OGG. Generally qualified as better than mp3. When you have a better option than mp3 why would you support the lesser option?

I see Linux + software as a fight to the top of the foodchain: we have several audio players and onl y the best one gets installed by default. All the others will try to get better than the current installed version or fade away.
In this case having OGG beats your argument :)

andersja wrote on the 14 May 08 at 18:58
The MS fonts are actually legally distributed for free today, if I have understood the position correctly.

See e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_fonts_for_the_Web for more information

Regarding DVD playback and MP3 etc: yes, you are right, allowing to pay for these features could make Ubuntu legally more attractive in some countries.

Ubuwu wrote on the 19 Sep 08 at 21:42
Implemented: the canonical store now offers multimedia codecs and dvd software for sale.

http://shop.canonical.com/


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