[Hackmeeting] ***SPAM*** mplayer : Closed for patent infring…

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Author: Null
Date:  
Subject: [Hackmeeting] ***SPAM*** mplayer : Closed for patent infringement
no, per adesso nn hanno chiuso, ma se nn si fa qualcosa, domani chi sa?
e che facciamo noi?
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Closed for patent infringement

This headline might soon become a reality due to the numerous patented
techniques MPlayer implements. Next up are the other free software
multimedia players, like FFmpeg, xine, VLC, avifile, gstreamer.

Multimedia is a patent minefield. All important techniques and formats
are covered by broad and trivial patents that are harming progress and
alternative implementations, such as free software multimedia players.

The European commission has just passed its directive on software
patents, violating democratic rules and procedures to the sole benefit
of big non-European corporation and Ireland and to the detriment of
small and medium sized businesses (which comprise 99% of the European
software industry) and free software.

The European parliament will now be taking the last stand against
software patents in a voting for which an absolute majority is needed.
Such a majority is hard to come by in a parliament with a low attendance
level.

But not all is lost yet as long as you decide it is time to make a
difference and take action. This is our last opportunity to fend off
software patents worldwide, there will be no second chance for the
foreseeable future.

Signing petitions will not suffice. Contact your local EU
representatives and educate them why software patents are a bad idea in
the first place and why they must attend that parliament session to vote
against them. Make it clear that they need to stop the machinations of
the EU council and reaffirm the power of the EU parliament, the only
democratically elected EU institution. For in-depth information and
starting points to get active visit the software patent page of the FFII
(Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure) and
NoSoftwarePatents.com.

Wish us luck, we will need it.

Enter the MPlayer homepage while it is still available.
http://mplayerhq.hu/homepage/index.html
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l`impero siamo noi,
rivendica la tua vita,
nn cibare la macchina