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New MP3 License Terms Demand $0.75 Per Decoder

Posted by chrisd on from the good-thing-ogg-is-up-to-speed dept.

Götz writes "The licensing terms of Thomson and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, who are the owners of the mp3 patents, have changed. Now not only mp3 encoders but also mp3 decoders require a license. This page lists the fees -- it's $0.75 per decoder. As a consequence, Red Hat has already removed all mp3 players from the Rawhide development version."

5 of 1,153 comments (clear)

  1. Do they not realize the effect of this? by uncleFester · · Score: 1, Troll

    I continually am amazed at firms that do this. Does not even the lowly geek admin at this place realize this will eventually kill mp3 as a used format, thus killing their source of revenue?

    I swear, if people are learning this kinda crap at their respective busisness schools.. I guess it's no wonder things like Enron or WorldComm happen.

    Idiots.

    --
    -'fester
  2. non open source == drain on society by Dave+Burbank · · Score: 1, Troll

    Instances like this demonstrate why software that is not open source is worthless.

  3. terrible news for Linux by tps12 · · Score: 0, Troll

    It's sad to see Red Hat giving in so easily. I'd always found some amount of personal pride in seeing a Linux-based company doing relatively well, financially. And now they let a couple evil and greedy patent abusers to walk right over them. I guess Red Hat really is the Microsoft of Linux.

    Hopefully, another company will come along and take their place. I'm not optimistic, but I'm hopeful. Can this really be the end of Linux?

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  4. Re:Cost not issue for AOL, perhaps for Kazaa by MaxVlast · · Score: 1, Troll

    Pardon? Each MP3 downloaded doesn't come with an MP3 player. Thank God. All they have to do is remove the MP3 player and continue to allow the rampant piracy of software.

    --
    There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
    Max V.
    NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
  5. Our Letter by Emmettfish · · Score: 1, Troll
    http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/openletter.html

    Emmett Plant
    CEO, Xiph.org Foundation