[Sussex] Agree

[Geoff Teale]

Angelo wrote:
-------------
> For instance i'm quite happy to have my DVD player now up and 
> running with
> VideoLan installed.  But it was a bugger to get going - I 
> spent several
> hours last night downloading DEB file upon DEB file, until all the
> references resolved.  On WinDoze I just slam the installation 
> disk and 5
> minutes later I'm watching "Fast and the Furious in Quality 
> Surround Sound".

While that may well be true you are forgetting one major point - you pay for
software on Windows.  THe DVD decryption algorithm is protected by patents
and licenses and thus (in the USA at least) the open-sourcing and royalty
free delivery of such an algorithm is not allowed (you can of course find
out what the algorithm is by reading the patent documentation - but you may
not use or modify it without license).  

The free libraries you are using _do_not_ use the patented algorithm, but
even so, under the terms of the USA's lovely DMCA they cannot be used or
communicated (or so the MPIAA claim - the debate continues in court) - thus
they cannot be built into nice tools like apt-get and you are forced to jump
through hoops get them installed (an indeed find them in the first place).

Now.. you could of course pay for some commercial DVD playing software on
LINUX.  AFAIK no such software exists, because there is no demand.  I
imagine this is because 50% of LINUX users have stong ethical beliefs about
the issue (and don't mind installing a couple of libs) and the other 50% are
not interested enough to part with cash.  

If you have a DVD decoder card (like the Creative DXR2 or DXR3) then you
have alrady bought a license with the hardware (and of course the decryption
happens in hardware) - you can get drivers for these card from frshmeat.net

Of course, as EU citizens we are governed by a legal system that strictly
enforces the idea that artificial barriers to the free trade of goods are
illegal and as such it is your duty to circumvent such measures wherever
possible ;)


-- 
geoff.teale at claybrook.co.uk
geoff at tealeg.uklinux.net
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