MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#1

Post by symisc_devel » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:06 PM UTC

MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired
mpegla.com

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#2

Post by anonymfus » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:51 PM UTC

Except in Philippines and Malaysia?

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#3

Post by SllX » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:52 PM UTC

An obsolete movie format, but a large amount of stored media exists in this format so ultimately a win.

I would like to say something to the effect of there being just a tiny bit less rent-seeking in the world today, but I'm sure by tomorrow the seeds will be planted for millions more rent-seeking opportunities in the future.

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#4

Post by Crontab » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:54 PM UTC

This is a striking example of the need to shorten software patents; if we really must have them at all.

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#5

Post by taeric » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:56 PM UTC

SllX wrote: post #3

An obsolete movie format, but a large amount of stored media exists in this format so ultimately a win. I would like to say something to the effect of there being just a tiny bit less rent-seeking in the world today, but I'm sure by tomorrow the seeds will be planted for millions more rent-seeking opportunities in the future.

My understanding from a long time ago was that the formats were actually competitive if you consider computation requirements. Size of the data was larger, but not by so much that it was scary.

There a good modern comparison of the formats?

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#6

Post by shmerl » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:58 PM UTC

Software patents shouldn't exist to begin with.

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#7

Post by anabis » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 10:58 PM UTC

SllX wrote: post #3

An obsolete movie format, but a large amount of stored media exists in this format so ultimately a win. I would like to say something to the effect of there being just a tiny bit less rent-seeking in the world today, but I'm sure by tomorrow the seeds will be planted for millions more rent-seeking opportunities in the future.

Most digital TV broadcasts use MPEG-2, don't they?

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#8

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 11:01 PM UTC

anabis wrote: post #7

SllX wrote: post #3

An obsolete movie format, but a large amount of stored media exists in this format so ultimately a win. I would like to say something to the effect of there being just a tiny bit less rent-seeking in the world today, but I'm sure by tomorrow the seeds will be planted for millions more rent-seeking opportunities in the future.

Most digital TV broadcasts use MPEG-2, don't they?

[deleted]

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#9

Post by Retr0spectrum » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 11:06 PM UTC

shmerl wrote: post #6

Software patents shouldn't exist to begin with.

I'm inclined to agree with you, but why?

Re: MPEG-2 Patents Have Expired

#10

Post by herogreen » Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 11:06 PM UTC

I wonder if this will affect the existence of the Raspberry Pi's binary blob ? I remember Liz Upton saying "[MPEG2 licensing] is a reason we have to keep the blob, unfortunately, or we’d be sued into a smoking hole in the ground by the MPEG LA" on this page: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/a-birthday-present-from-bro...

Also does it mean that the Raspberry Fundation could provide the MPEG2 hardware decoder license key for free ? (currently: http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/)