H.264 use isn’t all free all the time. MPEG-LA is the industry group that licenses the H.264 patent portfolio to the likes of software companies, optical-disc duplicators, Blu-ray player makers, and others who have need to use H.264. MPEG LA licenses a portfolio of more than 1,000 H.264-related patents on behalf of 26 companies that hold the patents.
Is H.264 a legal minefield for video pros? article tells that the licensing issues can be problematic to everyone working with video, because H.264 is very widely used. If you’re a digital-video professional, you need to understand those a bit off-putting licensing terms. For some applications H.264 is free but for some applications you have to pay for it. For example the wedding videographer might need to pay 2 cents per disc they sell.
If the video is broadcast for free over the Internet, H.264 can be used now for free. Earlier this year, MPEG LA extended through 2015 a provision that means streaming H.264 video over the Net requires no royalty payments as long as anyone can see the video without paying.
The question is what happens after year 2015? If you think that this isn’t an issue that’s worth worrying about then study the history. HTML5 video and H.264 – what history tells us and why we’re standing with the web article mentions that the history of GIF shows us what happens when patented technologies are used on the web and what happens when network effects over-run the natural drive to royalty-free technologies at scale. At one time Unisys was asking some web site owners $5,000-$7,500 to able to use GIFs on their sites (good that those patents expired). This is still instructive.
MP3 pricing gives us a glimpse into the strategy around H.264 licensing could be in the future. We know that MP3 was licensed quite liberally early in its lifespan. They changed that after the network effects had already taken their toll. But as the cycle continued and MP3 became a requirement for playback the pricing changed to where we are today (royalty rate of about $1 per unit).
H.264 is currently liberally licensed and also has a license that changes from year to year, depending on market conditions. In worst case we’re looking at the same situation with H.264, except at a far larger scale. Something that’s free today might not be free tomorrow. Remember, this is still very early in H.264’s history so the licensing is very friendly. When everyone is relying the technology, it’s time to change pricing.
Google’s YouTube HTML5 version it only works with Safari and Chrome because they’re using H.264. Firefox supports the HTML5 video element, but only for free Ogg Theora video (that works
with all of the desktop browsers, either via native support or via a Java plugin). Mozilla and the folks pushing Theora are going to look like they’ve been crying wolf, but they have a point.
The web has always been based on the assumption of Royalty Free. In fact, participation in a working group at the W3C requires that any parties disclose and make available any essential claims on the technology covered by that working group. This leads to the obvious question: is the codec a fundamental web technology? The HTML5 working group argued and punted on the issue.
Maybe in the mean time we have almost 6 years to settle in and then MPEG-LA decides to start charging for Internet content. Hopefully this gives time people time to properly develop a more open codec that can compete with H.264 (that it technically excellent). If there are at that time good alternatives available, it is harder to start charging unreasonable amounts of money for the use of H.264.
There is an alliance of free video technology forming. The Open Video Alliance, which includes Mozilla, Kaltura, Miro, and Yale Law School, are joining forces to bring video to Wikipedia – Flash-free. Wikipedia is the most popular site in the world that posts video exclusively in open formats (specifically, Theora).
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Have you thought of adding some videos to your posts to keep the visitors more entertained? I recently read through the entire article and it was good…thanks for sharing
I can’t help but chuckle when I read this stuff. All I can do was nod and agree! HaHa.
There are several ways in getting mp3 for your iPod. These are categorized into two: legal downloading and person-to-person sharing. These two differs in cost, way, and quality.
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This blog uses Wordpress platform with custom designed “theme”.
Wordpress seems to be a good platform for a blog. No need to change it I think.
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L. Shany
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NEWS:
Nero Files Antitrust Case Against MPEG-LA
http://www.osnews.com/story/23346/Nero_Files_Antitrust_Case_Against_MPEG-LA
“And this is the organisation the pro-Apple/MPEG-LA/H264 lobby wants to hand over video on the web to. We already established the MPEG-LA is headed by a clear-cut patent troll, and it seems that if any of the stuff in Nero’s complaint is true, we’re dealing with a company much more damaging than a mere patent troll.”
“The MPEG-LA constitutes a major threat to not only video on the web, but also the digital video industry as a whole. The MPEG-LA stifles innovation and places unnecessary costs upon consumers and the industry as a whole. This must end. Just as we don’t want Microsoft to abuse its monopoly position, we shouldn’t want the MPEG-LA to do so either.”
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I like this blog because of the design but this text is interesting too. A few weeks ago i found a german article about this topic.
Here are some interesting related comments from
http://ask.slashdot.org/story/10/06/13/234217/A-File-Centric-Photo-Manager
>MPEG LA doesn’t forbid sharing of anything.
Yes, it DOES.
If you have enough “subscribers” if you do not charge per download (over 100,000) you MUST PAY A LICENSE FEE. And these fees are much steeper than Over-The-Air video, because the Internet is somehow special.
If you make video LONGER THAN 12 MINUTES and distribute it you must pay 2% royalties *or* 2 cents per movie, whichever is greater. If your home movie becomes popular and is more than 12 minutes and you have not paid your two cents per download (even if you do not charge for it!) and they take notice of it, you will soon see the sky blacken with lawyers.
Beyond participation fees for indirect revenue (revenue not directly from the user), MPEG LA also sets out amounts for title-by-title (rental or per-view). For videos less than 12 minutes long, there is no royalty; but for videos beyond 12 minutes in length, the amounts are decided at 2% of the retail price paid to the licensee or 2 cents per title. The retail price is specifically noted as a “first arms length” transaction, specifically between the end user and the seller of on-demand, pay-per-view, and electronic downloads to end users.
If your video is longer than 12 minutes, MPEG-LA has its hooks in your content whether you like it or not. Even if it’s a home movie of your kids that is 13 minutes long, you owe MPEG-LA money if you “broadcast” it over the Internet. Even if you give it away, the minimum charge is 2 cents per download as described above.
http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/The-H.264-Licensing-Labyrinth-65403.aspx [streamingmedia.com]
Howdy, your site is on air in the radio! Good job mate. Your posts are truly great and bookmarked. Regards
If this is true can you be more specific on which radio did you hear that?
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Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.
The trouble with being punctual is that no one is there to appreciate it.
Many lords, many laws. — Thomas Draxe
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Maybe it’s your modem.
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