[ale] The world just got screwed....

[Michael Hirsch]

On Tue, 2002-08-27 at 17:39, Mike Lockhart wrote:
> I can agree with that.  They do have a legitimate and rightful claim on
> the format which I have no problem with. The only problem I see with it
> though is that mp3 has become such an entrenched standard that it will
> be extremely hard to get licensing fee's from people.  Additionally, I
> think they should have just stuck with licensing the encoder.  Think of
> all the systems and applications out there currently that use mp3
> decoding.  

Like in the song "The Old Dope Peddler" by Tom Lehrer;

   He gives the kids free samples
   Because he knows full well
   That today's young innocent faces
   Will be tomorrow's clientele.

Some call it unethical.  Others call it smart business practice.  I
suspect that Thompson Labs had no clue that it was such a valuable
technology.  Fortunately for them, the legal/business system has become
quite sympathetic to post hoc licensing restrictions.

--Michael
 
> On Tue, 2002-08-27 at 16:34, Michael Hirsch wrote:
> > On Tue, 2002-08-27 at 16:33, Mike Lockhart wrote:
> > > If anyone hasn't already seen it, immediately read this article:
> > > 
> > > "New MP3 License Terms Demand $0.75 Per Decoder"
> > > http://slashdot.org/articles/02/08/27/1626241.shtml?tid=155
> > > 
> > > Maybe this is the conspiracy theorist coming out in me, but I have a
> > > funny feeling that RIAA had a lot to do with this.  Redhat has already
> > > removed ALL mp3 players/encoders from the Rawhide tree.  
> > 
> > Thompson labs has been threatening to do this for a couple of years. 
> > Their claims on mp3 decoding are a bit shakey, so they started by
> > charging for the encoding which was pretty legitimate.  Now that that is
> > well established they are going after decoders.
> > 
> > IMO, the mp3 encoder is as valid an invention as any piece of hardware. 
> > If any software should be patentable, the mp3 encoder is a good
> > example.  It is not one of thos obvious things like XOR cursor or
> > one-click shopping.
> > 
> > The decoder I am less certain about, and from what I've heard their
> > patent is not as clearly applicable in that case.
> > 
> > > On the upside, this will be a great boost for the Ogg format.
> > 
> > Yes indeed.
> > 
> > Michael
> > 
> -- 
> 
> ================================
> Michael Lockhart - PHP Developer
> Intercosmos Media Group
> mailto:mlockhart at intercosmos.com
> http://orbital.intercosmos.net
> ================================



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