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MillimeterM4IF Welcomes MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Licensing
Jul 17, 2002 12:00 PM
The MPEG-4 Industry Forum (M4IF) welcomed the announcement by MPEG LA on behalf over 20 patent holders, noting that the viability of the license needs to be proven in the market.
The usage-fee concerns have been addressed. Other positive aspects are the inclusion of terms for MPEG-4 systems and the fact that newer MPEG-4 Profiles, e.g. Advanced Simple, are covered by the license at no extra cost, offering the industry a one- stop shop for licensing MPEG-4.
"I am delighted that terms are finally known", says Rob Koenen, president of M4IF. “This rings the starting bell for the whole broadcast and multimedia industry to start releasing MPEG-4 products and services. The licenses are the long-expected prerequisite for MPEG-4 being fully accepted and deployed.”
“It’s good that we now have version 1.0 of the licensing product—it can be sold. It does not yet cover all requirements, but I am confident that MPEG LA and the licensors will work with potential licensees, as they have done to date, to come up with a version 2.0 that covers more service and usage models," says Koenen.
Although there is no single, comprehensive open alternative for all markets, there are alternatives in each of them. The MPEG-4 industry needs a license that allows it to offer competitive products and services in all of MPEG-4's target markets, consistent with the opportunity presented by MPEG-4 as a horizontal, cross-platform standard.
M4IF hosts a discussion on issues relating to the adoption of MPEG-4, including MPEG-4 licensing, at www.m4if.org/public/publiclistreg.
MPEG-4 is the interactive coding standard for all digital multimedia platforms. Developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group that designed MPEG-2 (the digital television standard), MPEG-1, and MP3. Being object-based and extending beyond video and audio, MPEG-4 supports rich, interactive standards-based multimedia from low bandwidths to transparent quality.
M4IF represents more than 100 companies from diverse industries evenly distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia, addressing MPEG-4 adoption issues that go beyond the charter of ISO/IEC MPEG. Activities of the forum include an interoperability program, certification, several working groups, access to ISO/MPEG committee members, and an annual conference (WEMP-4). For more information visit www.m4if.org.
Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.