[Mageia-dev] Mirror layout

Mon Dec 13 08:44:21 CET 2010

Consideration of software patents and copyrights does not constitute implicit 
+support for them. It does however constitute explicit support for obediance of 
+the law. Like it or not, patent and copyright laws do exist in some countries 
+(especially the U.S.A. - my home), and it is our responsibility to take those 
+laws into considertion (whether we want to or not). Laws can not be changed by 
+ignoring them, only broken. People who break laws are criminals - no ifs, 
+ands, or buts, about it. If the Mageia community chooses to opeate as a 
+criminal organization, I will have nothing to do with it.
+
+We are discussing whether to accomodate software patent and copyright law in 
+countries where it exists. I can see no way to avoud doing so. We can include 
+patented software in our distribution if we choose to do so (and I think we 
+should), but we must provide both mirror hosts and end users (including me) a 
+method of easily excluding such software. By doing so, we give our users and 
+supporters the freedom to choose to obey the law where they live and still use 
+or support our distribution.
+
+As I see it, we already have a usable mirror lay-out (posted earlier in this 
+thread). The only real discussion that should remain is whether to include the 
+"tainted" branch in the official Mageia tree, or to offer it in an alternate 
+repository such as PLF (my earlier suggestion).
+
+In either case, I do not believe that ALL patented (or Copyrighted) software 
+should be placed there (in the "tainted" branch). Some such software comes 
+with explicit permission to use (perhaps nVidia and/or ATI drivers?). In other 
+cases, we may be able to contact the patent or copyright holder and get 
+explicit permission to include their software in our distribution. In such 
+cases, we should be able to safely (for both our users and supporters) include 
+the patented / copyrighted software with the official branch of our 
+distribution.
+
+my2cents
+
+-- 
+Ernest N. Wilcox Jr.
+Registered Linux User 247790
+ICQ 41060744
+