[Asterisk-Dev] G729 in non-realtime mode - way forward forAsterisk?

[Benjamin on Asterisk Mailing Lists]

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 17:51:32 +0100, Kevin Walsh <kevin at cursor.biz> wrote:
> I'll bite once, but probably won't continue with the thread as this
> subject has been covered several times.

I would hope that this thread will not end up in a discussion about
the pro and contra of working around (software) patents. The aim was
rather practical.

> The cost is not the issue.  The issue has to do with "free" as in
> "freedom", rather than "free" as in "lunch".  You either understand
> what freedom means or you don't.  To me, it doesn't matter whether
> the monopolists want $0.01, $10 or $1,000,000 - there's a principal
> involved.

Mind you cost does have something to do with limiting freedom. If the
cost of entering into a g729 license agreement was affordable for an
average startup open source project team, then it may still be wrong
*on principle* depending on your viewpoint, but at least it would be
*possible* to start such a project. Say, if two or three guys get
together and they decide to make a g729 codec for Asterisk on Solaris
and the entry cost for that would be something like -say- 500 or even
1000 USD, then this would still be within the reach of most people who
might start such a project.

But with 15.000 USD initiation fee, 50.000 licenses minimum order and
7500 USD renewal fee, I doubt that any emerging private citizen
initiative will be able to ever get off the ground. Consequently there
will be no g729 codec for Asterisk on Solaris, none for BSD, none for
LinuxPPC, none for OSX. That is what limits freedom. Only monopolists
and corporates can afford to join the party, small time projects are
locked out by default.

But as I said, this thread was meant to be rather practical, so I'd
like to ask this ...

Everybody who disagrees that it makes sense to work around monopolies
please start your own thread, please do not hijack this thread.

Everybody who agrees that there is a benefit in trying to find ways to
work around monopolies be it for economic reasons or out of principle,
please stay and help to explore the technical possibilities we have in
respect of either avoiding or significantly minimising exposure to
g729 licensing for Asterisk voice message recording and playback.

thanks
rgds
benjk

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