Real Pays For Legal MP3 Playback On Linux

kforeman (aka Kevin Foreman, GM of Helix RealNetworks, Inc.) writes "As part of the free RealPlayer 10 for Linux, Real has paid Thomson for a legal MP3 playback license and then includes it at no cost as part of the newly released RealPlayer 10. As I speak to people, many are under the false impression that MP3 playback patent and royalty rights are free, since there are open source implementations of MP3 playback available. Not true. Nonetheless, we are glad to do our part of making the Linux desktop a first class citizen by legally providing MP3 playback to users via our new RealPlayer."

Comments

Real

[DenDave]

Noble of them.. however we prefer to use non-proprietary stuff though.. So, ogg-vorbis is the way.. Now if Real were to use ogg in their commercial products so (and maybe challenge the ipod with ogg player hooked up to their online music store???) we wouldn't need proprietary licenses then we would all bow down and hail the penguin lova!

Re:Real

[BJH]

Well, I agree that proprietary software is not preferable, but if you'd bothered to RTFA, you would have seen that RealPlayer can (apparently) play back Ogg Vorbis files.

How many times do I have to license it?

[pedestrian crossing]

I have a SB Live! card that has hardware mp3 decoding built-in, but the linux drivers support it. I assume I paid for a license as part of the purchase price of the card. I feel no qualms about using LAME, etc. and in fact they are doing a great service to those of us who already paid but are unable to use that capablility on our OS of choice...

player not free, but ...

[scharkalvin]

The patent holder for the mp3 codic has never gone after distributors of "free" mp3 players, so long as they were not being used in a for profit product. So download the source and build it for yourself..no worries. (Not true with mp3 ENCODERS, however you can still download bladeenc or lame sources). However because this limits your freedom you won't find an MP3 player in Debain main. Since Real won't give you the source, it isn't 'free' either, again Debain won't distribute it, even if Real says they can.

Re:player not free, but ...

[giantsfan89]

you won't find an MP3 player in Debain main

You sir are wrong.

Debian includes several MP3 players, but no MP3 *encoders*. To rip to MP3 on Debian, you must download the sources and compile the ripper yourself.

I hope that this makes it into the Helix Player, which has RPMs (convertable to debs via alien).

Re:no surprise

[fireboy1919]

How did it become a standard, though? It became a standard because free mp3 players or advertising revenue based mp3 players didn't have to pay a fee. Then the company changed that policy.

In other words, because they weren't enforcing their IP rights, people figured they were up for grabs. Otherwise, nobody would have used mp3 at all. It's not like its the only encoding technique of its kind; every step in mp3 was actually invented by someone else, and each step is freely available.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, but if you give away an intellectual property right, isn't taking it back legally questionable?

Re:No idea

[anagama]

I'll admit to being a Real skeptic, but ... I use RP10 for one purpose: This American Life. Despite being a skeptic, I must say that RP10 takes up little screen space, has nice controls, and I've never been subjected to any ads.

Re:Distributions?

[mystik]

Your correct, but you have to remember which freedoms the zealots are fighting for. They're fighting for the right to modify, improve and redistribute software.

Unfortunatly, most of the general public has no use for these freedoms, since they're not software developers.

Software like realplayer can legally be distributed for free because Real, Inc. has done the legal footwork to license other codecs. This makes Helix player "the best choice" by default since no open source alternative can legally exist. (thanks to patents and what not)