RFC: On-demand package installation API in kdelibs

[John Layt]

On Wednesday 28 July 2010 21:36:06 Martin Gräßlin wrote:
> I assume we could
check the locale settings and
> e.g. not offer to install libdvdcss in the
U.S. but only in countries where
> it is allowed. Or to state that the user
has to be sure that it is legal to
> install the software in the country he
lives in. E.g. with weblink to
> further information explaining the
situation about libdvdcss.
> 
> For mp3 it's
> way easier as there are
distributions shipping Fluendo codecs.

Doesn't Ubuntu / Kubuntu have a
script that goes and gets codecs and libdvdcss when you first need them?  If
Canonical is distributing such software then they must have legal advice
that it is OK.  I think they pop-up a dialog to say you must confirm your
jurisdiction allows you to install the software, which moves liability onto
the user?

Besides, it would be up to each distro to implement the
installation mechanism which fetches and installs the software, therefore it
would surely be up to each distro to check the legality of how they choose
to do so?

I think we can rely on the Betamax ruling here, same as the
bittorrent developers do.  If there is even a single legal avenue to obtain
each function, then I think we are legally safe to provide the hooks to
install the software on request, so long as we leave it to the distros to
decide how to do that.  Our defence would be that we provided the facility
for legal avenues only, it's not our fault if someone abuses that for
illegal purposes.

IANAL, we would probably have to consult a good one to
confirm this is a correct interpretation.

John.