#FOSS Free Open Source Software Isn't Always Free

Just because you build something doesn't mean you can give it away for free. You can't draw a picture of Mickey Mouse, slap it on a T-shirt and sell it. The same is true for the Intellectual Property in software. Patents require licensing, and that limits what software can be truly free.

The Free Software movement is interesting in theory, but practically it often makes more people "pirates" not less.

Mpeg2 License pricing since people keep arguing you don't need one.
http://www.mpegla.com/main/programs/M2/Documents/m2web_licenseterms.pdf

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• FOSS
• Free
• Open
• Source
• Software
• Isn't
• Always
• pirate
• pirating
• intellectual
• property
• patents
• Patent
• royalty
• payments
• Intellectual Property
• Linux
• GNU
• Linux Kernel
• software tutorial
• Windows
• Free Software
• Microsoft Windows

[maw88ify]

Why do all Mac fanboys always talk with their hands ?

[BlackwaterOpsDotCom]

@maw88ify Has been banned for calling me a mac fan boy. And promoting illegal activities, despite numerous warnings.

[ZillaMab]

VLC says you don't: "Neither French law nor European conventions recognize software as patentable (see French section below).

Therefore, software patents licenses do not apply on VideoLAN software." - From the VideoLAN don't how that translates to the US since VideoLAN is French software.

[TechWilling]

Other tech channels tell me what I ask to know. You, Brandon, tell me things I do not know to ask. That is my favorite part about this channel.

[onomatopoeia162003]

what about software i used in college. from Microsoft. it was free. like for example, asp and vb.net

[BlackwaterOpsDotCom]

@BigBobsh2o Only if you have legal system codecs for all of those codecs. and only if you are sure it could use them. The Mpeg2 decoder from PowerDVD won't work with VLC, and the h.264 codec from Moonlight won't work with VLC. So Maybe, but unlikely.

[BigBobsh2o]

@BlackwaterOpsDotCom

What if for example you set VLC's codec settings to "use system codecs if available".

Would that make it legal?

[BlackwaterOpsDotCom]

@tbybjb You misunderstood something. Updated the pricing for MPEG2 Decoding in the description.

[tbybjb]

@BlackwaterOpsDotCom When I contacted MPEGLA they told me the license is required for 'distributing' content only and only if you make a profit from it. As an end user viewing content encoded with their video codec doesn't requried a license. For devices that record content like photo/video cameras, the end user also doesn't need to pay a license. So aren't you just spreading FUD and misinformation. Please correct me if I've understood something wrong.

[BlackwaterOpsDotCom]

@maw88ify

A. The Mona Lisa is now in the public domain.

B. Taking a picture of a David Hockney has cost people $10k in fines for theft.

C. Continuing to promote illegal activity will get you banned.

[maw88ify]

If I take a picture of the Mona Lisa did I steal it ? NO , because copying is not theft.