Is Lame legal codec ? It uses some Fraunhofer's patents...
So, can I rip my CDs using LAME and feel safe ?

I have read before that the source of Lame is Legal, just compiling it and then using it isn't... Although I may be mincing my facts. What is the situation, and, more importantly, why should I care that Ogg is "Free", whereas Lame, and (probably) Mpc are -presumably-"not free"?

Yes, its legal for you to use Lame.

However, for those providing compiled binarys of Lame its a different thing. In most countrys you need to pay license fees for using MP3 technology, but that only applies to those providing the software. You don't need to worry. Those providing these binarys usually host them on servers in countrys that don't allow software patents.

Long live bureaucratism

Distributing binaries of Lame is likely to be illegal in most countries.
Using it is quite legal.

Ok... so why all the hoo-har about Ogg being "free". Precisely how does being a 'free' codec benefit anyone? (presuming that it isn't infringing on whatever patents it may be infringing on)...

I think you've answered your own question: patents.

The benefit is that it possible to distribute it without paying license fees. This means that software (and hardware) developers can use it in their software without having to pay any fees. This should contribute to bringing more and better software using these encoders.

The other benefit is that it is open just as Lame is.

The open-ness gives you a better codec, and the free-ness gives you software and hardware to play it.

The advantage of Ogg being free is that it's competitive with WMA and MP3 and AAC in terms of compression ratios and sound quality (note that I didn't say that it's better or worse than any), but doesn't cost anything close to as much for game designers, online music vendors, etc. to legally use.

Gabriel saying "Using it is quite legal", and other people saying game developers and the like "have to pay to use it" seems to be in conflict. If it is legal to use it, and its legal to use Ogg, why should game developers have to pay to use Lame?

Well obviously one has to distinguish between private use and commercial use. Where LAME is only free to use for private use Ogg vorbis is also free for commercial use.

Since game developers obviously make money from their products they have to pay licence fees to fraunhofer to do so. The same probably goes for any files that get publicly distributed. Meaning that artists for example won't need to pay licence fees for using Ogg vorbis and will have to pay licence fees for using MP3

lev said: "why should I care?"

Well, some people have moral objections I think. (I might be wrong there.) From a more practical point of view consider this:
Assuming that at some point in the future Fraunhofer decide to start charging for commercial applications of their standard, compare two portable music players with the same hardware:

• One plays mp3s and has paid for the priviledge
• One only plays ogg vorbis

The second one will be cheaper!

Of course, there's a lot of "ifs" in there and it doesn't apply now so... Anyway, I prefer ogg, so roll on the day they sell ogg-only players...

Adam

No need to assume that fraunhofer will charge for their standard in the future for implementation in comercial products. They already do so right now. Every application that uses MP3 encoding as a built in feature, already needs to pay licencing fees to fraunofer.

AFAIK it is not needed to pay licencing fees for decoding. This probably would not be in fraunhofers interest anyway.

Here's a page with some info about this:

- http://www.mp3licensing.com

I quote the parts that I find more interesting to the topic:

From the End Users Q&A page:





From the Developers & Manufacturers Q&A page:





From the Royalty Rates page:



So, from a theoretical point of view, there's no need to have a license for private distribution/streaming of mp3 files. But the use of decoders and encoders doesn't seem exempt of licenses, even for personal use. But of course I don't believe that Thomson/FhG will care that much to currently stop the distribution of free mp3 encoders/decoders as long as they are not associated with any companies.

cya

Perhaps they care enough, and let them beeing developped on purpose.

are you guessing here Gabriel?