Comment 5 for bug 528910

"MP3 format is not proprietary."

What is it then if I have to pay money or ask for a license to legally use it? It's not "proprietary" as in "WMA", but it is still a closed format. Instead of calling it what it's not, perhaps we should call it what it is, a closed and patent-encumbered format which needs a patent license for legal use, making it non-free. Being not free, MP3 decoders are also not redistributable. This leaves the user to go grab the free as in beer plug-in themselves. It should be painfully obvious that they are doing something "unpalatable".

"some jurisdictions."

Including the biggest market for the ---- things. :)

"as some groups of people are not free to play this format without paying the "patent tax"."

Even if you use the free as in beer Fluendo decoder, you still have to ASK someone for a PATENT LICENSE to decode files you supposedly "own". What if the English language was patent encumbered and you had to ask someone else to read you your books?

"I'm puzzled buy your idea that people buying MP3s from an Ubuntu Music Store would accelerate adoption of patent-free formats."

I heartily and strongly concur, and would like to see an answer for this one too.

"If anything, it would do the opposite, as music stores would begin to think that even the Linux crowd don't really need patent-free formats."

Bingo. Why should we support Ubuntu One Music Store and show our apathy and contempt for free as in freedom formats that are light years beyond MP3 technically? Some of the senior management at Canonical may not care, but I do. I don't think I'm alone either.

"It would be illegal for me to share my music downloaded from this store with a friend."

That's where the tracking tags and GUIDs in some MP3 stores' MP3 files come in, which is why I call them "spyware". They have no business implanting a GUID in your MP3s and you should use EasyTag to rip them right back out if they do.

Spyware (what these GUID tags are) also goes against the very foundation of FOSS. So does not being able to share, modify, and help your friends (But that's a different problem for a different discussion). I would like assurances to the community that there are no privacy implications involved in the files themselves.

"the plug-in is open source"

"We'll show you how we made the rope to hang yourself with."

"7digital controls the content, the pricing and the format of its music. Not Ubuntu or Canonical or the community... "

Nor anybody really, save the friendly neighborhood SLAPP lawsuit-happy music cartel in your particular area. (RIAA)

Look, I've got no love for the record labels, but we can do something about the bad format. Why not do something about that?

And if I seem frustrated, it's because I am. This is such an affront to FOSS, community standards, and many other things is why.