[ LUGOS ] DVD and CSS (fwd)

[Jaka Mele]

pisite...

						lp, Jaka


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 09:41:38 +0800
From: p.schenker na eit.de
To: "jack na lugos.si" <jack na lugos.si>
Cc: "pesch na ibm.net" <pesch na ibm.net>
Subject: DVD and CSS

easylinux.com is selling the first Linux designed specifically for the desktop.
Naturally, our customers want to be able to play DVD movies on their computers.
To do this we have a DVD player program - but there is a problem: A group of
Industrial Giants control which company can offer such a player program and
which cannot. They developed DVD, and so they have a right to do that. But they
are very picky about to whom they give a license. They gave a license to mighty
Microsoft - but not to Linux. For this reason, there is no DVD playback for the
12 million Linux users available yet. For the traditional, server-oriented Linux
this is not so much of a problem, but for desktop-bound easyLinux this is simply
catastrophic.

Is there a way out? - You have probably heard that some great young hacker
geniuses have cracked the encryption code that protects DVD playback, so -
technically - easyLinux.com could now offer the hacked DVD playback software.
However, this could be illegal. So, DVD on Linux seems to be even more dead than
before - which is truly sad.

There might be another way out, though: easyLinux.com has applied for a regular
license from the DVD Copy Control Association (www.dvdcca.org) who has assumed
the responsibility of Licensor of DVD technology for the Industrial Giants. If
you feel supportive for easyLinux in this matter please send an email (or
letter) to css-license na lmicp.com and state your point of view  (please send us a
copy at p.schenker na eit.de).

Best regards,

Paul Schenker
easyLinux.com