h264 is NOT proprietary [LWN.net]

h264 is NOT proprietary

Posted Dec 12, 2007 19:39 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: Specifying codecs for the web by sfeam
Parent article: Specifying codecs for the web

Sorry but that's inferior free codec vs superior one. x264 is here. Not even a contest - except for some countries where software patents are legal.

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h264 is NOT proprietary

Posted Dec 12, 2007 21:47 UTC (Wed) by cortana (subscriber, #24596) [Link]

You have pushed x264 all over the comments on this page--but you have not explained how to get
around the simple fact that no one in the United States can use x264 without leaving
themselves liable to patent infringement lawsuits. Like it or not, the fact that software is
patentable in the US does matter--you can't just bury your head in the sand!

Ask fluendo, will you

Posted Dec 12, 2007 22:31 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

Ask Fluendo to speed up work on H.264 and buy codec. Hopefully it'll be available sooner then HTML5 :-)

Yes, it's not a perfect solution, but how can you be sure it'll not be needed in the future by Theora as well ? As long as software patents exist the only way to get 100% unencumbered solution is to use something 20 years old - and that's not Theora.

Ask fluendo, will you

Posted Dec 13, 2007 8:13 UTC (Thu) by tzafrir (subscriber, #11501) [Link]

How can you be sure you have payed all the existing patent owners for the specific
x264-related patents?

Microsoft has learned it the hard way recently with MP3.

So that risk still applies for all others. At least for Theora there are no known patents.

You can not

Posted Dec 13, 2007 22:41 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

How can you be sure you have payed all the existing patent owners for the specific x264-related patents?

You pay to all known patent owners and hope for the best

Microsoft has learned it the hard way recently with MP3.

Exactly.

So that risk still applies for all others. At least for Theora there are no known patents.

And what exactly does it change ? Submarine patents still will be a problem. At least with H.264 you should only fear patent trolls, with Theora "normal" companies like IBM or Microsoft can sue you too...

You can not

Posted Dec 15, 2007 2:39 UTC (Sat) by tzafrir (subscriber, #11501) [Link]

Microsoft surely can't. At least not if they participate in the standartization of HTML5.