Anyone seen the mplayer site?
 

Hi,

Sorry if this has been posted about before, but I couldn't find it.

Just going to the mplayer website and noticed the front page. Looks like mplayer is being taken to court over software patents.

Mplayer is such a great program, and I think many people here will agree with me. It would be a great shame to lose it.

It doesn't look to me like they are being taken to court as such, but they are complaining about recent efforts to introduce software patents in Europe.

it's just a statement of what is possible now. they aren't actually in danger at all.

Yep, sorry read that wrong twice. :)

But, the software patents are starting to take their toll, and if they enforced, we may see developers abandon programs. I remember there was a similar massage on the knoppix website sometime last year, and it said that some of the patents were on things like scrollbars.

At the moment they have not been implemented but it looks like they will be, but there are still some hurdles along the way. Software patents are very damaging, so personally i hope they aren't implemented in Europe coz they only benefit a select few.