[Freeciv-Dev] Re: MP3 Patent Issues

["Sam BC" <sambc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Consider the legal principle, very popular in modern law, "Innocent until
proven guilty". The *prosecutor* would have to prove that the MP3 was
*il*legally encoded before anyone would be considered to have broken the
law.

I would feel safe, therefore, in saying that as long as developers did not
say 'BladeEnc (or LAME) is wonderful, we used it' then there would be no
threat of prosecution whatsoever.

The whole discussion seems a little pointless. I am now (after further
research) completely confident in saying the following: Developers can do
what the heck they like with MP3 development for sound, *as*long*as* they do
*not* produce code to encode an MP3 stream.

This means: packaging MP3's is fine (as long as the copyright on the
recording is not broken)
                writing or using any and all decoders is fine
                endorsing decoders is fine
                absolutely anything with decoding is FINE

(NB: Repetition used to reinforce point)

Anyone who disagrees is welcome to show me the evidence.


SamBC

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tuomas Airaksinen [mailto:tuma@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 28 June 2000 13:44
> To: Sam BC
> Cc: freeciv-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Re: MP3 Patent Issues
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 27, 2000 at 02:29:02PM +0100, Sam BC wrote:
> > So, in review, there is nothing stopping use of MP3 sound in
> any way as long
> > as the sounds/music are ENcoded in Europe or with European software.
> >
> > So, getting back to the very original reason for this
> discussion, if people
> > want to start any development for sounds (reactionary fx or
> ambient music)
> > there is no reason not to use MP3.
>
> Is there any way to check that with which program a mp3 file is encoded?
> If there isn't then that's not a problem.
>
> --
> kirjoitti:  Tuomas Airaksinen              linux
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>