MPEG-LA Considering Patent Pool For VP8/WebM

An anonymous reader writes "Well, that didn't take long. Larry Horn, CEO of MPEG-LA, the consortium that controls the AVC/H.264 video standard, says the group is looking at creating a patent pool license for VP8 and WebM, Google's new open source, royalty-free HTML5 video format... So much for a Web video standard unencumbered by patent issues." We talked about VP8/WebM a couple of days ago when Google open sourced it. Reader Stoobalou points out another late-night email from Steve Jobs, who was asked to comment on VP8 vs. H.264. Jobs laconically sent a pointer to the technical analysis we linked before, where the poster says "VP8 copies way too much from H.264 for anyone sane to be comfortable with it, no matter whose word is behind the claim of being patent-free."

Comments

Patent violations

[sopssa]

The thing is, MPEG-LA ensures that H.264 and you are free from any patent violations. Google doesn't offer anything such, they actually say they don't take responsibility on any such tthing, so it's a patent bomb waiting to happen and any company that uses it takes risks. That's why it might make more sense to just use H.264 and save yourself from future problems.

That and the fact that H.264 is already on every device on the planet.

Re:Patent violations

[Anonymous Coward]

The MPEG-LA is worth xxx billion. Google is only worth xx billion. So what.
When you're worth that much it really doesn't matter. Would Google having another
10 or 100 billion help them mount a better legal defence? Would it make their case
stronger? Neither side would die as a result of this so it really makes no difference
how big they are once they reach a certain size.

I'm sure the combined companies of the MPEG-LA could make things very difficult for Google
but then Google could also make things difficult for the MPEG-LA. Didn't they remove CNet
for violating the CEO's privacy? Dropping MPEG-LA sites down the rankings a few pages or
even a little note saying "the company operating the site you are about to visit could be
attempting to ransom the internet"

Who is MPEG-LA?

[192939495969798999]

From wikipedia: The following organizations hold one or more patents in the H.264/AVC patent pool: 1. APPLE INC.

Magically, apple wants to enforce their HTML5 patents after trying to force people away from Flash? HAAA HAAA.

Re:So when does MPGE4 AVC/H.264 expire?

[tomhudson]

Approximately 15 years from now.

Given my daughter's current age, it's likely that any potential grandchildren wouldn't even be born by then.

So it's safe to say you're not Sarah Palin posting under an alias :-)

Re:Consider how long Theora has been out

[larry bagina]

I think all that anal sex made you forget about gif/lzw.

Re:This proves it - MPEG-LA has an attitude proble

[sexconker]

So, you're suggesting that H.264 and other MPEG implementations be developed for years at the cost of untold millions and then given away free, just because?

I agree that patent trolling is annoying shit, and I agree that it'd be nice to have a free option.

But here's the kicker: The open source community has not created a free codec worth a damn, and never will. The open source community DOES infringe on patents and DOES steal code and ideas. VP8 is almost certainly no different.