Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 7th Mar 2013 20:47 UTC
"Google and MPEG LA announced today that they have entered into agreements granting Google a license to techniques that may be essential to VP8 and earlier-generation VPx video compression technologies under patents owned by 11 patent holders. The agreements also grant Google the right to sublicense those techniques to any user of VP8, whether the VP8 implementation is by Google or another entity. It further provides for sublicensing those VP8 techniques in one next-generation VPx video codec. As a result of the agreements, MPEG LA will discontinue its effort to form a VP8 patent pool." The word that stood out to me: the auxiliary verb 'may', which has a rather low epistemic modality. To me, this indicates that this is not so much a clear-cut case of VP8 infringing upon patents, but more a precautionary move on Google's part.
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RE[5]: Comment by Nelson
by Thom_Holwerda on Thu 7th Mar 2013 22:59
in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by Nelson"
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Member since:2005-11-29
RE[6]: Comment by Nelson
by jared_wilkes on Thu 7th Mar 2013 23:16
in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by Nelson"
Member since:2011-04-25
Everything about the statement says: we'll let you craft this statement to save as much face as possible but everyone will know and understand the truth -- that you are licensing patents that you need for your format.
That's the most positive thing out of this for Google: they got to word the announcement.
RE[5]: Comment by Nelson
by TechGeek on Fri 8th Mar 2013 02:15
in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by Nelson"
Member since:2006-01-14
Features
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2011-04-25
The announcement specifies licensing of techniques covered by patents owned by 11 different organizations.
I don't see what is speculative about saying that Google has paid for and acknowledged that VP8 is not patent-free or monetarily-free.