Looks like Bootlin is located in France. France doesn't recognize software patents (as I understand it), which is why VLC can exist. (Though I noticed on VLC's

Looks like Bootlin is located in France. France doesn't recognize software patents (as I understand it), which is why VLC can exist. (Though I noticed on VLC's website that the EC could try to change that: https://www.videolan.org/press/patents.html https://www.videolan.org/press/patents.html)