[Lancaster] FW: Finnish Broadcasting Companys archive only for windows media users

[Mark Williams]

On Tue, 2006-09-12 at 16:36:43 +0300, Risto H. Kurppa wrote:
> Finnish Broadcasting Companys archive only for windows media users
> 
>  Free to publish & spread. Please do.
> 
> Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE, www.yle.fi in Finnish,
> http://www.yle.fi/fbc in English) has made a remarkable cultural act
> by opening a 'Living Archive' - service on their web site (in English:
> http://www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=t&n=archive) . The service contains
> hundreds of television programs and thousands of radio programs from
> YLEs archives. The 'Living Archive' is promoted as a free service
> that's open for all.
> 
> However, the content is meant to be available only for people using a
> specific program manufacturers' products. The service works only
> limited on Macintosh computers and if one is using Linux operating
> system, the w32codecs - package is required to be able to play the
> content. The new copyright law (reformed 01/2006) makes it illegal to
> download or share unlicensed tools that decode content like DVDs or
> videos from this 'Living Archive'. And using w32codecs, it's still a
> hard work to be able to get to the content.
> 
> There is a law that defines the public services for YLE. According to
> the law YLE has to make its services available for everyone equally.
> It's also said that its task is to support, create and develop the
> domestic culture and make it's results available for everyone.
> Limiting the content for only one product does not fulfill the
> requirement to serve all citizens equally.
> 
> The up-to-date news content on their website is available not only in
> Microsoft Windows Media format but also in Real Media. This serves
> also Macintosh and Linux users well. This could be the way to make the
> 'Living Archive' available for everyone.
> 
> In future, YLE should start using file formats based on open standards
> (like Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora). These formats do not depend on one
> program manufacturers products. They are also free from licence fees
> and the technical quality is excellent.
> 
> People in Finland are sending emails similar to this message to YLE
> via Citizens Speak web service ( http://kansalaisetpuhuvat.net/node/26
> ).
> 
> If you want to support the Finnish Linux and Mac community and help to
> advance the usage of Open Standards, please do spread this message and
> let them at YLE know your opinion. E-mail address is
> elavaarkisto at yle.fi.
> 
> Thank you!