Google’s WebM Codec Allegedly Treads on 12 Pairs of Toes

By Maureen O'Gara	Article Rating:
August 1, 2011 07:00 AM EDT	Reads:	1,291

MPEG LA, the royalty-collecting agency for AVC/H.264 and other multimedia codecs, told Streaming Media that 12 patent holders have responded to its call for submissions from folks who think the VP8 video codec, a key element in Google's "royalty-free" WebM codec widgetry, infringes on their IP.

MPEG LA has yet to name names.

Patent watcher Florian Mueller calls 12 a "high number" that could increase in the future and figures there's an "overlap between those 12 companies and the ones that contributed to MPEG LA's AVC/H.264 pool."

MPEG LA's next step would be to form a VP8 license pool, fix a rate and work out how to divvy up the money. Apparently negotiations are underway.

It's unclear what happened to that open source-leaning Justice Department look at whether MPEG LA was, as the Wall Street Journal described it, "trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online video that is backed by Google."

Published August 1, 2011 Reads 1,291
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Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara

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