--- /usr/lib/python2.5/pydoc.py	2009-02-17 22:43:25.000000000 +0100
+++ /home/christoph/dokumente/projekte/cjklib/trunk/pydoc.py	2009-08-02 14:55:35.000000000 +0200
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 #     the current directory is changed with os.chdir(), an incorrect
 #     path will be displayed.
 
-import sys, imp, os, re, types, inspect, __builtin__, pkgutil
+import sys, imp, os, re, types, inspect, __builtin__, pkgutil, locale
 from repr import Repr
 from string import expandtabs, find, join, lower, split, strip, rfind, rstrip
 try:
@@ -1337,8 +1337,11 @@
 def pipepager(text, cmd):
     """Page through text by feeding it to another program."""
     pipe = os.popen(cmd, 'w')
+    output_encoding = (hasattr(sys.stdout, 'encoding') \
+        and sys.stdout.encoding) or locale.getpreferredencoding() \
+        or 'ascii'
     try:
-        pipe.write(text)
+        pipe.write(text.encode(output_encoding))
         pipe.close()
     except IOError:
         pass # Ignore broken pipes caused by quitting the pager program.