Public bug reported:

The vlfeat package provided by Ubuntu (and also Debian) has been
stripped down by intentionally removing the SIFT implementation. This is
what is written in the README.source file:

«The SIFT implementation was removed from the source due to patent issues.
References to it have been removed from the toplevel demo script (vl_demo.m) and
the toplevel documentation file (index.html)

 -- Dima Kogan <d...@secretsauce.net>, Thu,  7 Nov 2013 17:30:40 -0800»

It is unclear whether these "patent issues" exist or not, at least
because software patents are not even legal in a lot of countries.
Moreover, there is no documentation whatsoever on how to add the missing
functionality. I ended up downloading the source file and building
custom deb packages, but this should not be needed by the average user.

I am using Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty and the package without SIFT is octave-
vlfeat 0.9.17+dfsg0-6build1. If these "issues" happen to be real, with
good evidence, then im my opinion a script should be added to download
the missing parts, like Ubuntu does with the deCSS library for encrypted
DVDs.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: octave-vlfeat 0.9.17+dfsg0-6build1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sat Apr 26 20:11:16 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-07-17 (648 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 
(20120425)
SourcePackage: vlfeat
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-03-24 (33 days ago)

** Affects: vlfeat (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug trusty

** Description changed:

  The vlfeat package provided by Ubuntu (and also Debian) has been
- stripped down by purpotedly removing the SIFT implementation. This is
+ stripped down by intentionally removing the SIFT implementation. This is
  what is written in the README.source file:
  
  «The SIFT implementation was removed from the source due to patent issues.
  References to it have been removed from the toplevel demo script (vl_demo.m) 
and
  the toplevel documentation file (index.html)
  
-  -- Dima Kogan <d...@secretsauce.net>, Thu,  7 Nov 2013 17:30:40 -0800»
+  -- Dima Kogan <d...@secretsauce.net>, Thu,  7 Nov 2013 17:30:40 -0800»
  
  It is unclear whether these "patent issues" exist or not, at least
  because software patents are not even legal in a lot of countries.
  Moreover, there is no documentation whatsoever on how to add the missing
  functionality. I ended up downloading the source file and building
  custom deb packages, but this should not be needed by the average user.
  
  I am using Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty and the package without SIFT is octave-
  vlfeat 0.9.17+dfsg0-6build1. If these "issues" happen to be real, with
  good evidence, then im my opinion a script should be added to download
  the missing parts, like Ubuntu does with the deCSS library for encrypted
  DVDs.
  
  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: octave-vlfeat 0.9.17+dfsg0-6build1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Sat Apr 26 20:11:16 2014
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-07-17 (648 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 
(20120425)
  SourcePackage: vlfeat
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-03-24 (33 days ago)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1313166

Title:
  SIFT functionality is stripped out from VLFeat

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