All string literals are Unicode by default.

Also, change all IO functions to handle Unicode. All strings returned by Kodi are decoded from UTF-8 into Unicode.

addon.py

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 # --- Modules/packages in this plugin ---
 import resources.main

resources/assets.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
 # --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import os
 
 # --- AEL packages ---

resources/net_IO.py

@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
-# Python standard library
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sys, random, urllib2
 
 # AEL packages

resources/scrap.py

@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # We support online an offline scrapers.
 # Note that this module does not depend on Kodi stuff at all, and can be

resources/scrap_asset.py

@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sys, urllib, urllib2, re
 
+# --- AEL modules ---
 from scrap import *
 from scrap_info import *
 

resources/scrap_common.py

@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sys, urllib, urllib2, re
 
+# --- AEL modules ---
 from scrap import *
 from scrap_info import *
 from net_IO import *

resources/scrap_fanart.py

@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+# --- AEL modules ---
 from scrap import *
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

resources/scrap_info.py

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Miscellaneous emulator and gamesys (platforms) supported.
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

resources/scrap_metadata.py

@@ -15,12 +15,10 @@
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 
-# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# We support online an offline scrapers.
-# Note that this module does not depend on Kodi stuff at all, and can be
-# called externally from console Python scripts for testing of the scrapers.
-# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+# --- AEL modules ---
 from scrap import *
 from scrap_common import *
 from disk_IO import *

resources/utils.py

@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@
 #
 # Utility functions which does not depend on Kodi modules (except log_* functions)
 #
+
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sys, os, shutil, time, random, hashlib, urlparse, re, string
+
+# --- AEL modules ---
 try:
     from utils_kodi import *
 except:

resources/utils_kodi.py

@@ -18,10 +18,15 @@
 #
 # Utility functions which DEPEND on Kodi modules
 #
+
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sys, os, shutil, time, random, hashlib, urlparse
+
+# --- Kodi modules ---
 import xbmc, xbmcgui
 
-# Addon custom modules/packages
+# --- AEL modules ---
 import utils
 import disk_IO
 

resources/utils_kodi_standalone.py

@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 # outside Kodi in standard Python.
 #
 
+# --- Python standard library ---
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 def log_debug(str):
     print(str)