Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Canonical Offers Sale of Proprietary Codecs for Ubuntu

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the just-trying-to-help-the-users dept.

ruphus13 writes "Playing DVDs on Linux that required proprietary codecs has been a source of much pain. Ubuntu (or anyone else, for that matter) is not legally allowed to redistribute these codecs. So, users were left with sub-optimal choices. Convert the multimedia to an open format, acquire new media, or use a codec 'found' on the web, which may be illegal. In its continued effort to have a seamless and slick user experience, Canonical made the hard choice to offer the sale and support for proprietary codecs that users had to actually purchase for Ubuntu. This is not a fight Canonical can fight alone, and they are sure to get some grief for the decision."

19 of 427 comments (clear)

  1. Finally! by clang_jangle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Every time I convert someone to Ubuntu, the first thing I always do is download and install the "illegal" mplayer codecs. Otherwise, the poor user will click on some multimedia file and get that god-awful "search for codecs" dialog, which is usually enough to freak them out. It makes them feel they are dealing with a lesser OS, because it doesn't "just work" like they've come to expect (of course, they usually didn't install Windows either or they'd know better).
    I hope Canonical will just sell the install media (and download) with the codecs already in it. That would work really well for a lot of people. A boxed Ubuntu with all codecs on the store shelves for about $30 - $45 right next to the Windows Vista boxes (on sale for JUST $199!) would probably do quite well. Plus the word would start getting out how much easier it is to install and live with than Windows.
    Yes, I wish we lived in a world where all formats, protocols, and standards were Free, but they never will be so long as capitalism remains our official state religion. Meanwhile, we still want to watch our movies and play our music.

    --
    Caveat Utilitor
    1. Re:Finally! by Zancarius · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, I wish we lived in a world where all formats, protocols, and standards were Free, but they never will be so long as capitalism remains our official state religion.

      I think it is more appropriate to blame a broken patent system than capitalism itself. Patents impede competition which is an important concept in capitalism.

      --
      He who has no .plan has small finger. ~ Confucius on UNIX
    2. Re:Finally! by PunkOfLinux · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, there's a lot of crap you have to do to get iPods working...

      It doesn't actually conform to the USB Mass Storage spec, at least not for music. File storage, sure, but otherwise, no.

      --
      Show this to your friends and family that don't know what a real hacker is
    3. Re:Finally! by X0563511 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      WPA supplicant is a mess. I should be able to type in a network name and passhprase at a prompt, and be done with it.

      --
      For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
    4. Re:Finally! by fermion · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I am not sure that this is a problem with the patent system or capitalism. The patent system is largely protecting the inventor. I don't think any of the right holders of these codecs are poor, although the inventors might well be. Likewise the market is doing what it always does; provide products. This is why, for the most part, market economies do not have empty shelves, or people waiting in line for hours for product that does not exist. This is the working part of the market system. It is not feasible to create a product, and then deny it to the market. This is why we have knock off Gucci bags.

      Of course, the other half of the market system is a legal framework that does not encourage socialism. That is, make producers liable for the products, and prevent the government from limiting those liabilities. Of course, in the name of public safety and stability, there is some benefit to some market meddling. Of course, the problem occurs when government socializes businesses while stil leaving them in large private hands, as has happened this week in the US. The executives reap huge rewards while the taxpayer takes a bath.

      So, in this case, there is no simple legal and free way to get a driver for linux, so the market created one, in terms of gray market drivers. The market has also created a 100% above board driver. The only question remains, for a market point of view, is it worthwhile to prosecute those that use the grey market download. Certainly from a socialist point of view it is, because the government will pay the bills, and the right owner will reap the reward. Perhaps from a law and order point of view this is also prudent. But what it comes down to is that patents do not be defended to remain valid, the money lost through these grey downloads are likely not significant, and like MS Windows, the benefit of universal access probably outweighs any issue of lost revenue.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    5. Re:Finally! by NeverVotedBush · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I checked their site and one of the codecs they offer there is Fluendo's mp3 codec.

      I recently tried Fluendo's free version and it didn't sound right and seemed to have artifacts. I instead went to pacman and downloaded their mp3 codec and things sounded much better.

      Maybe the Fluendo pay version is better than the free one. At any rate, I hope Ubuntu offers good codecs for sale so people still aren't turned off from Linux.

    6. Re:Finally! by Arthur+B. · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problems experienced can be traced back to the 1913. No, not just since Monday.

      --
      \u262D = \u5350
    7. Re:Finally! by Zancarius · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But patents on Software (formulas you know) are not right.
      Some sort of reward for a developer might be appropriate but it has to be tied to the industry.

      And in software that means maybe only for 3 or 5 years max.

      Exactly, and well said. It's unfortunate that those of us who speak out against software patents are labeled amongst the tin-foil hat socialist crowd that is somehow against inventors, the free market, or demand government intervention (which is what patents are). As you suggested, software for specific purposes is very limited in duration (presumably because it becomes outdated within that time frame). I think patents are a very important protection for tangible inventions, but they're a horrible thing when it comes to software--or formulae, as you stated. As an aside, I love that simplification you offer, because it brings everything to the crux of the matter which is that software patents are oftentimes very narrow in scope and involve either an algorithm or a user interface that is so blatantly obvious, prior art has likely preceded any patent by years!

      --
      He who has no .plan has small finger. ~ Confucius on UNIX
    8. Re:Finally! by McGiraf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No that is really really really bad, you now have free Linux and pay Linux. The free Linux will bw see as crippleware and 10 years down half of a Linux system will be closed source paid apps with shinny DRM. This is a dangerous precedent.

  2. Given the legal structures in place... by Dr.+Manhattan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...this actually makes sense. (What that says about the legal structures in place, of course, is a separate question.)

    --
    PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
  3. Depends. by DrYak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    New convertees to ubuntu (and there are a lot of them) might think that this whole "linux is free" thing is just a scam. Time will tell.

    It depends how the streamlined process puts it.
    If it is clearly stated that mostly all of linux is free, but in some legislation, there are patent fees applying for some technologies needed to access media.
    If its clearly worded, the convertees could even better understand why everyone is making such a fuss about the patent system with this concrete example : There this nice thing called Linux, should be free for anyone to use, but no, because of some obscure patent, you're forced to pay.

    Of course this problem is mainly constricted to English language where the word "free" collides two separate ideas of "freedom" and "costs nothing".

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  4. It's a good thing by steveha · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever you may think about software patents, the fact is that Canonical only has three choices here:

    0) Not offer this software

    1) Include the software for free, and break the law in some countries

    2) Offer legal software, and pay the licensing fees

    Ubuntu is my favorite distribution, and I'm happy to see legal, supported DVD playback.

    I'm really tired of reading reviews that say "Great distribution, but it can't play back any of my media."

    Now let's get Dell, Gateway, etc. to start pre-installing Ubuntu with the extra media options. It will be a better out-of-box experience than Vista.

    steveha

    --
    lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
  5. Good on 'em! by LocutusMIT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the things I've always liked about Ubuntu is their decision to give the users the choice between running completely free and open source software or accepting proprietary [(though often still free (as in beer)] software on their computers.

    While I think it shameful that the DVD producers have decided that I need to pay extra to run a DVD that I already own, I applaud Canonical for giving me the option to do so easily.

  6. Re:But are they better? by BobMcD · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Do other dvds work? If so, then it's the discs, stupid.

    Yeah, I'm that stupid. Thanks for pointing it out.

    Yes other discs work in linux. Guess what though, those SAME DAMN DVDS work great in the SAME DAMN HARDWARE, booted to Windows.

    Thanks for the snarky comment, though.

  7. Re:Somebody had to do it... by X0563511 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or, like me, they will say "fuck that" and use "illegal" codecs, laws be damned.

    I'm not creating content with your proprietary codecs, so you can fuck off with your royalties.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  8. Woohoo! by TheDarkener · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How can anyone see this as bad? Canonical is giving you a CHOICE - *not* vendor lock-in. You can still install codecs in any other fashion suitable for your situation - but for those who don't WANT or have the knowledge of HOW to install them illegally, manually, or what have you - this is a new option.

    Go Canonical! Go choice!

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  9. Re:Not new, just streamlined. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here is the real win for Canonical... OEM pre-installs.

    Its doubtful that anyone who downloads Ubuntu for free will pay for these things... they will find the no-cost alternatives and use them.

    What this does do however is give OEMs who want to pre-install Canonical a legal way to include these encumbered bits of software and roll the cost into the sale price of the computer/device the customer is purchasing.

    So really this is a mechanism aimed at people buying computers with Ubuntu pre-installed, who won't be given a choice as to whether or not to spend the money on these things. The cost will be included in the price tag of the device.

    It's actually a pretty smart move, and makes Ubuntu more attractive to OEMs.

    OEMs and Ubuntu boxsets.

  10. Re:Somebody had to do it... by Nimey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Splorf! When you can get a cheap new DVD player for $20 to $30 at $BIGBOXSTORE, $50 to enable the codec on your computer is a /bit/ excessive.

    They're pricing themselves out of the market. If I started feeling guilty about installing ubuntu-restricted-extras and not paying the intellectual-property tax, I might consider paying $10 to $15 to play DVDs and media files, but not $90.

    --
    Hail Eris, full of mischief...

    E pluribus sanguinem
  11. And wireless too by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wish they would sell wireless drivers there too.

    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.