[mythtv-users] Legality of selling MythTV and its Components?

Disconnect mythtv at gotontheinter.net
Wed May 3 16:46:17 UTC 2006


On Wed, 03 May 2006, Jun Yu did have cause to say:

> I believe if you use capture cards with mpeg2 encoder, the loyalty has been
> paid for mpeg2 and MP3 by the manufacturer. Playback is not against any
> patent they hold. And if you brought commercial dvd driver coming with a
> software, the patent is paid again for DVD play back no matter if you are
> using the software come with it or not. Otherwise it would mount to "double
> taxation". Transcoding is problematic to some patented mpeg4. (no all of
> them are though).

The capture card is likely to be correct - the encoder code is on the card, 
and its licensed.  As to the others, the dvd player is not licensed. The 
software is. (And its not "taxation", its a purchase agreement, so they are 
free to charge as often as they like.)

> As for datadirect, you can sell the box with no account and let the buyer to
> apply one. It would ruin the current situation for all of us I believe if
> you sell more than a hundreds.
> I don't think mythtv in its current implementation can become a sucessful
> commercial product though. It was created by geeks and for the geeks.

As long as it doesn't start up with "ok now go here and get a datadirect 
account" you will likely be within the license. EPG exists, as do other 
forms of guide data, and if you leave it up to the end user to select and 
provide it, all should be well. (Although yes, they may elect to object to 
it.)


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