What is the legality of Ubuntu Restricted Extras package?
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I am wondering if I can legally install and use the Ubuntu Restricted Codecs metapackage in the United States? How am I allowed to access these proprietary codecs for free?
When you need to know more information about a package, the best bet is usually to run apt-cache show along with the package name:
apt-cache show ubuntu-restricted-extras
Here, it shows this is a metapackage that depends on ubuntu-restricted-addons:
apt-cache show ubuntu-restricted-addons
Most of the useful info seems to be provided by the ubuntu-restricted-extras description as seen in this example for Ubuntu 22.04:
Package: ubuntu-restricted-extras
Version: 67
Architecture: amd64
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <[email protected]>
Installed-Size: 14
Depends: ubuntu-restricted-addons
Recommends: libavcodec-extra, ttf-mscorefonts-installer, unrar
Section: metapackages
Priority: optional
Description: Commonly used media codecs and fonts for Ubuntu
This collection of packages includes:
- MP3 and other audio codec software to play various audio formats
(GStreamer plugins)
- software to install the Microsoft Web fonts
- the Adobe Flash plugin
- LAME, software to create compressed audio files.
.
This software does not include libdvdcss2, and will not let you play
encrypted DVDs. For more information, see
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs
.
These software packages are from the Multiverse channel, restricted by
copyright or legal issues in some countries. For more information, see
http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/licensing
I think the information you're probably looking for can be found at ubuntu.com/ubuntu/licensing Although, it's not very specific about the individual licenses. However, like for the msfonts license for example, you can read the license when you install this package and it asks you to agree to this license.
Also, the RestrictedFormats page explains how the restricted formats software licenses do not conform to or align with Ubuntu's Free Software Philosophy and therefore are installed at the discretion of the user rather than included by default. Related page: Ubuntu FreeFormats.
You can also search for individual packages related to the licenses you're interested in. For example, LAME is mentioned:
apt-cache search LAME
or more specifically:
apt-cache search LAME doc
and the first result is lame-doc - MP3 encoding library (documentation) i.e., documentation related to this library:
sudo apt install lame-doc
After installation, you can list the files of the installed package using dpkg -L like in this example:
dpkg -L lame-doc
and you will see a number of html files which can be opened with any web browser.
If you open the about.html page file:///usr/share/doc/lame-doc/html/about.html you will find links to the other appropriate pages.
Legal restrictions on closed source or patented software like the packages included in ubuntu-restricted-extras metapackage applies to distributors (in this case Ubuntu). Users can install the package for personal use. In fact when you install this metapackage it will show you the End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Microsoft Fonts which you will have to accept if you want to install and use them.
When you need to know more information about a package, the best bet is usually to run
apt-cache showalong with the package name:Here, it shows this is a metapackage that depends on
ubuntu-restricted-addons:Most of the useful info seems to be provided by the
ubuntu-restricted-extrasdescription as seen in this example for Ubuntu 22.04:I think the information you're probably looking for can be found at ubuntu.com/ubuntu/licensing Although, it's not very specific about the individual licenses. However, like for the msfonts license for example, you can read the license when you install this package and it asks you to agree to this license.
Also, the RestrictedFormats page explains how the restricted formats software licenses do not conform to or align with Ubuntu's Free Software Philosophy and therefore are installed at the discretion of the user rather than included by default. Related page: Ubuntu FreeFormats.
You can also search for individual packages related to the licenses you're interested in. For example, LAME is mentioned:
or more specifically:
and the first result is
lame-doc - MP3 encoding library (documentation)i.e., documentation related to this library:After installation, you can list the files of the installed package using
dpkg -Llike in this example:and you will see a number of html files which can be opened with any web browser.
If you open the about.html page file:///usr/share/doc/lame-doc/html/about.html you will find links to the other appropriate pages.
Legal restrictions on closed source or patented software like the packages included in
ubuntu-restricted-extrasmetapackage applies to distributors (in this case Ubuntu). Users can install the package for personal use. In fact when you install this metapackage it will show you the End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Microsoft Fonts which you will have to accept if you want to install and use them.