As a linux user I am disappointed to hear this. I'd like to know what they mean by "We cannot support Linux in a legal way. So the answer is: No support for Linux."
The more reason we give Microsoft to control content and intellectual property, the less freedom we will have to use our own computers. Just look at the controversial "trusted computing". Imagine when Microsoft has full control over your computer and all you can do is pay them to even check your email.
It's a shame that the European government relies on proprietary formats when there are enough alternatives which could easily be played on any operating system.
As a German living in the USA, and a Linux user, I find the arrogance of this EU pronouncement pathetic beyond words -- do you really think that only Windows/MacOSX users are human? That they alone have the right to receive your streaming services? Not so long ago people were despised for reasons of race or religion or sexuality. Does the EU think it's just fine to discriminate against a different minority on the basis of the computer operating system they use? Pathetic! Biased! Loathesome! And to whine about illegality defies credence.
I use Linux to connect to the Internet, so I can only see content which is designed to be seen by everyone. Technologies which do not follow standards made by a multi-vendor standards body often narrow the audience, which is not what you want I assume.
Should the technical inaptness of the people you hire be the marking stone for your ability to carry out your own policy (i.e. supporting open standards and open software)?
If so, what use is a policy then? Hire competent people, they do exist!
If it is true that the _opinion_ was that 'We cannot support Linux in a legal way', then you are misinformed. The very concept of using proprietary formats for public information is ethically and functionally broken. Please get informed about media and technology before making policy decisions which you personally don't feel the effect of. The lobby is not a valid place to get educated about such things, no matter how you rationalize it.
Why not just give us platform/OS independent media and let us decide what to do with it?
You are hindering competition on the technology the developments that come with it.
The rationale "We cannot support Linux in a legal way. So the answer is: No support for Linux." is nonsense! What exactly prevents you from supporting open source operating systems and platform-independent streaming standards?
As the continued case against Microsoft shows, the EU government has a clear policy of encouraging open standards and interoperation.
Many platform-independent streaming solutions based on open standards exist, for example (but not limited to!) those based on Ogg Theora.
It is vitally important, both for the viewers, and also for the credibility of EU, that the EU practices itself what enforces and encourages its inhabitants to do.
This is an issue of enfranchisement. If it's ok to exclude users of free software from this service on the grounds of convenience, then it becomes ok to exclude other groups of people from European services on similar grounds. The argument about legality can be easily solved by using an unencumbered, universally-available format - frankly, if you're using public money to do this, you have a duty to make it available to all EU members, without discrimination, even if it does make your job a bit harder.
Such discrimination against the exercise of my civil rights through promotion of particular commercial products is unacceptable. There ARE alternatives. I DEMAND that free standards become the requirement for documentation within EU.
If public funds are used, no member of the public should be "locked out" for any reason. This includes what they decide to run as an operating system, and with the lawsuites against Microsoft you would think the EU would understand better than this!
There are so many different streaming format standards and even open source and freeware streaming server that to say that there is no way to legally support any platform other than windows and mac is a lie or a sign of thecnological ignorance
You _can_ support this in a legal way. Sure you do.
In fact you should think of the legal implications of discrimating EU citizens to the information _we_ are paying you for providing.
I personally believe that to not support linux based systems is to go against personal right and freedom. Denying those users who prefer a non-mac or non-windows based OS the right to view your media is implying a denial of freedom it's self. Claiming that support for Linux is not legally fit, is in a sense an oxymoron. Can you honestly deny people access due to their personal choice? How can this be accepted??
There is no valid reason to deny specific groups of citizens access to the streaming service of the european union. There are no technical reasons for rejecting to service linux users, only obscure marketing ones - the ones we would expect our society to protect its citizens from!
If you didn't give money to Microsoft for a product that has many Open, Free, and free alternatives that are as good, if not better, you might not have to spend millions to prosecute them for anti-competitive practices.
