Fedora Linux Disabling Mesa's H.264 / H.265 / VC1 VA-API Support Over Legal Concerns

[NobodyXu]

Intellectual property theft is not a criminal matter. It is a civil matter.

Thanks for correction.

[finalzone]

The article mentions the probable need to compile your own mesa if you are to retain the mentioned features. The ability to do so easily is very on topic.

The potential fix just landed on https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/...uildID=2068556. It turned out splitting mesa vaapi is a viable suggestion. As I write, Fedora mesa maintainer proposed it to one of RPM Fusion contributors. See the spec file on https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/mesa/tree/rawhide

[kgonzales]

There is also this solution from Fluendo, which has been around awhile and supports GStreamer development:

https://fluendo.com/en/products/multimedia/oneplay-codec-pack/

[CommunityMember]

Intellectual property theft is not a criminal matter. It is a civil matter.

True enough, but the potential payouts can result in a sufficient monetary penalties to be a CEE (corporate ending event).

[ripper81]

There is also this solution from Fluendo, which has been around awhile and supports GStreamer development:

https://fluendo.com/en/products/mult...ay-codec-pack/

I don't think that this would change anything. Since the hardware acceleration is disabled on the driverlevel none of the media frameworks (ffmpeg or gstreamer) can use it even if the support is enabled within the codec itself.

Intel users can switch to Intels proprietary media driver for VAAPI support. On AMD the only easy option would be using flatpak versions of the apps that need GPU decoding.

[openminded]

Lmao classic

[Space Heater]

The potential fix just landed on https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/...uildID=2068556. It turned out splitting mesa vaapi is a viable suggestion. As I write, Fedora mesa maintainer proposed it to one of RPM Fusion contributors. See the spec file on https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/mesa/tree/rawhide

It's definitely good progress towards a reasonable compromise. However it remains to be seen if this change will be applied to Fedora 37 and of course it will also require someone willing to take on the responsibility of maintaining an unencumbered version in rpmfusion.

[yump]

So, if AMD isn't handling the codec licenses, and the board vendors aren't handling the codec licenses... who is?

Where do Windows users get their h.264 hardware decoding patent license from?

[patrick1946]

That has nothing to do with US.
When something is patented, then any use of it without obtaining permission or paying for royalties is crime.
Yes, anywhere you go it is a crime, because you did not design that stuff, others take their time to do so you have to pay for it.

So US law is now universal? Actually if you think ownership over ideas is a good concept you should think about that the USA would be in debt to rest of the world for eternity. 😎

Especially to the middle east where concepts like writing or the alphabet were invented. I hope you already paid them. 😉

[ssokolow]

So US law is now universal? Actually if you think ownership over ideas is a good concept you should think about that the USA would be in debt to rest of the world for eternity. 😎

Especially to the middle east where concepts like writing or the alphabet were invented. I hope you already paid them. 😉

Not to mention...

1. Hollywood is in California because it was far enough from New York to be beyond the reach of Edison's patent lawyers.
2. America became a cultural juggernaut by ignoring British copyrights.