MPEG LA

MPEG LA, LLC, is a Denver-based firm that licenses patent pools covering essential patents required[1][2] for use of the MPEG-2,[3] MPEG-4 Visual (Part 2), IEEE 1394, VC-1, ATSC and AVC/H.264 standards. The firm is also working towards pooled licensing of LTE patents pertaining to 4th generation cellular telephony and patents essential for WebM.

MPEG LA is not affiliated with MPEG, the Moving Picture Experts Group.

Contents

Criticism

MPEG LA has claimed that video codecs such as Theora[4][5][6] and VP8[7][8][9] infringe on patents owned by its licensors, without disclosing the affected patent or patents.[10] Currently, they are calling out for “any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the VP8 video codec”.[11]

In May 2010, Nero AG filed an antitrust suit against MPEG LA, claiming it "unlawfully extended its patent pools by adding non-essential patents to the MPEG-2 patent pool" and has been inconsistent in charging royalty fees.[12] According to MPEG-LA, the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed the suit with prejudice on November 29, 2010.[13]

H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Licensors

The following organizations hold one or more patents in the H.264/AVC patent pool.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Revolutionizing Intellectual Property Rights Management". http://www.mpegla.com/main/Pages/About.aspx. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
  2. ^ Loli-Queru, Eugenia (2010-05-01), Why Our Civilization's Video Art and Culture is Threatened by the MPEG-LA, OSNews, http://www.osnews.com/story/23236/Why_Our_Civilization_s_Video_Art_and_Culture_is_Threatened_by_the_MPEG-LA 
  3. ^ Clendenin, Mike (2007-03-12), Chinese set-top box makers, MPEG LA face off over patent fees, EE Times, http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=WHQGCDCQAPPDCQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=197801387 
  4. ^ Ozer, Jan (2010-03-04), Ogg, MPEG LA, and Submarine Patents, StreamingMedia.com, http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=65782 
  5. ^ Metz, Cade (2010-04-30), Steve Jobs: mystery patent pool to attack Ogg Theora, The Register, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/30/steve_jobs_claims_ogg_theora_attack/ 
  6. ^ Blankenhorn, Dana (2010-05-02), Behind the open codec FUD attack, ZDNet, http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/behind-the-open-codec-fud-attack/6393 
  7. ^ Metz, Cade (2010-05-20), Google backs open codec against patent trolls, The Register, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/20/google_confident_on_vp8_and_patents/ 
  8. ^ Metz, Cade (2010-05-21), Google open video codec may face patent clash, The Register, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/21/mpegla_mulls_patent_license_for_webm/ 
  9. ^ Fulton, Scott M. (2010-05-21), Patent pool may be in the works for 'free' VP8 codec, Betanews, http://www.betanews.com/article/Patent-pool-may-be-in-the-works-for-free-VP8-codec/1274466745 
  10. ^ Blankenhorn, Dana (2010-05-24), FUD pushing back hard against Google WebM, ZDNet, http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/fud-pushing-back-hard-against-google-webm/6548 
  11. ^ MPEG LA Announces Call for Patents Essential to VP8 Video Codec, Denver, CO: MPEG LA, 2011-02-10, http://www.mpegla.com/main/pid/vp8/default.aspx, retrieved 2010-02-12 
  12. ^ Holwerda, Thom (2010-05-24), Nero Files Antitrust Case Against MPEG-LA, OSNews, http://www.osnews.com/story/23346/Nero_Files_Antitrust_Case_Against_MPEG-LA 
  13. ^ "Court Dismisses with Prejudice Nero AG’s Antitrust Claim Against MPEG LA" (PDF) (Press release). Denver, CO: MPEG LA. 2010-11-29. http://www.mpegla.com/Lists/MPEG%20LA%20News%20List/Attachments/233/n-10-11-29.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-14. 
  14. ^ AVC/H.264 Licensors

External links