People distributing decoders in volume still need to license the technology. The good news is it is cheap, something like $0.25 and most users have already paid

People distributing decoders in volume still need to license the technology. The good news is it is cheap, something like $0.25 and most users have already paid if you use the code in OS X or Windows. I see Ubuntu has a mechanism to license it for OEM built machines, though I don't see a way for an individual to buy a license. I don't think a one time $0.25 is a significant burden to someone that paid 1000 times that for the machine and 100 times that each month for network access. The burden is the transaction cost. The client has to decide to pay and then go through the hassle of paying. Someone (with a tolerance for doing business) should set up shop selling 10 licenses to a linux H.264 decoder for $5. Use what you need, gift the rest to friends.