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Does Transfer of MPEG Video Infringe on Acacia Patents?
Spooky Suicide asks: "I own a slightly naughty website that among other things makes 20 some odd videos available for download in MPEG2 and MPEG4 format. I recently received a written letter from Acacia Research telling me my delivery of video is infringing upon some of their patents and I must choose between either licensing their technology or settling this issue in court. I called the EFF who told me they don't specialize in patent issues and don't know what to do next. Obviously, if all video on the web infringes on their patent, you'd think they'd go after the big guys, but they seem to be going after little content providers who can't afford to fight them in court. I can't help but feel like I'm being shaken down by the hi-tech version of Tony Soprano, what should I do? Anyone else dealt with these guys or no of any group of people grouping together to fight this?"
First, contact the EFF. They may be willing to help you fight any court battles.
:-P
If the EFF isn't interested in helping you, then re-encoding may be the way to go. If you still have the original, uncompressed video, that's definitely the way to go.
Use the DivX codec; it's free to use and produces good output. (Use the free version, not the "Pro"; you won't need the extra features.) Stick a link to DivX's web site on your page. I'd also include a note that MPEG isn't friendly, and that Acacia sucks.