Joel Konkle-Parker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> Why can't Sun's j2re and mplayer be provided in non-free or contrib?
> I've read various things about how their legal status is
> incompatible with Debian's DFSG, but I thought that's what non-free
> was for in the first place.
Things in non-free must be freely distributable in binary form. I
don't think Sun's java allows that. I think it even puts restrictions
on that.
As for mplayer the thing with that is that mplayer in its natural
state might contain certain patent or copyright violations, making it
illegal to distribute it. Debian could remove those parts but then it
would make mplayer useless. The developpers of mplayer have said that
they don't want people to distribute cut down versions of mplayer
because people will laugh at the results ("what do you mean this
player can't play .avi, real, or quicktime?").
Bijan
--
Bijan Soleymani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://www.crasseux.com
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