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Taiwan Joining Chinese Royalty-free Video Disk Effort

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the routing-around-monopolies dept.

BeardStreet writes "In an attempt to stop the flow of royalties to the various DVD licensing bodies (e.g. DVD6C, MPEG-LA, etc.), 19 Taiwanese companies have come up with a royalty-free DVD format called EVD which is compatible with a similar effort going on in China, called AVD. Capacity is about 1 GB higher. Their goal is to avoid having to shell out US $15 to $20 per-player royalties. EVD/AVD players will still be able to play traditional DVD disks but will not have the official DVD logo on them, thus avoiding the licensing fees. It's a political issue as well, in that China needs to balance the flow of royalty money going out of their country, especially with DVD players falling rapidly in price."

6 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Will they really avoid license fees? by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If there are patents on the DVD format and these EVD players can read DVDs, it's hard to imagine how they wouldn't infringe those patents.

    OTOH, if the royalties are for a trademark license, they may be able to escape by not using the DVD logo.

  2. Re:Well good for them by bricriu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe these innovations belongs in the same ranks. Hopefully, the success level will be a considerable amount higher. ;-)

    --

    AHHHHHHH! I'm burning with goodness again!
    - Reakk, Sluggy Freelance

  3. What a difference geography makes by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Several industry sources confirmed that emerging EVD or AVD players will be capable of playing back both EVD/AVD disks and DVD disks.

    But other industry sources in Japan acknowledged that if players bear no official DVD logo, it would be difficult for the 6C or 3C groups to go after them.

    It's sad that some companies in Asia are going to get away with making their own DVD players for the sole purpose of cheating the DVD patent holders while some poor European kid who writes DeCSS so that he can play his legally purchased DVDs on Linux gets crucified to the fullest extent of the law.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  4. Re:What a difference money makes by Telastyn · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's sad that some rich companies in Asia are going to get away with making their own DVD players for the sole purpose of cheating the DVD patent holders while some poor European kid who writes DeCSS so that he can play his legally purchased DVDs on Linux gets crucified to the fullest extent of the law.


    Emphasis mine.
  5. Re:It's about time. by darkonc · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Apex got in trouble because they signed the non-disclosure agreement that, among other things, prevented them from allowing multi-region players, etc.

    If CSS is simply trade-secret, and not patented, then all these newcommers have to do is use DECSS in their players (and possibly include a copy of the source code with every player!!! :-)

    --
    Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
  6. Re:Well good for them by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "I bet you only say this when it appears to be in your favor. Try this similar sentence on for size: When Microsoft decided they didn't like the legal state of things and decided to come up with their own standards, they were rising above petty legal fights and truly addressing the issues faced by individuals and businessed whose interests are firmly in the hands of patent owners that only care about themselves."

    The difference that the move from MSFT centralises power and control in the hands of a corporation, while the move in Asia hands rights and restriction-free capabilities out to a whide variety of groups.

    Centralisation and disemmination of power are very different things.