[haiku-development] Re: ffmpeg licensing
- From: Ryan Leavengood <leavengood@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: haiku-development@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:53:11 -0400
On Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 12:20 PM, Urias McCullough
<umccullough@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I don't have much time to head to the forums, but if the issue is with
> codecs and patents, there's really no avoiding it at this point.
> Stripping out all codecs that aren't "patent-encumbered" would
> probably leave Haiku unable to play a large majority of modern
> audio/video content (perhaps with the exception of ogg and webm).
I am a US citizen and am therefore at most risk for these "patent
issues", but frankly I'm absolutely sick of all these discussions and
worries over bullshit patents. Screw these software patents, the
companies who wrongfully got them, and the horrible patent office and
government who granted them!
I say we ignore these patents until we get a legal notice saying we
have to do otherwise. If Microsoft or Apple or whatever other evil
company wants to sue a small OS project like Haiku over invalid
patents, let them try. They will get crucified in the media, and won't
get much money out of it. We can then bankrupt Haiku, Inc and open a
new corporation in a country without a corrupt patent office. But I
think the chances of this happening are microscopic.
If Haiku becomes wildly successful and becomes more of a target, then
maybe we can step back and reconsider things. But for now I think it
is a waste of time to accomodate one stupid country (even if I live
there.)
To me this applies to ffmpeg and freetype. I think we should just turn
on the subpixel rendering in freetype and ship it, instead of jumping
through hoops just because of the United States and its horrible
patent system.
Because the reality is as much as we may hate it, this corrupt system
won't be changing overnight. We should just be glad that (so far) the
EU and most other countries haven't followed suit.
--
Regards,
Ryan
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