[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] MS Video 1 encoder

[Robert Swain]

On 10/3/09 18:54, Kostya wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 03:26:26PM -0300, Fernando Cassia wrote:
>> I?m just an onlooker not a developer... just wondering... does this addition
>> of a MS codec add any patent / future legal issues for people shipping
>> FFMPEG? How do you guys handle these issues?.
>
> Personally I just ignore them - seems to be quite effective.
> As for the codec itself - IIRC M$ licensed compression core from someone else.
> And I just wrote new encoder from scratch on (probably) another set of
> principles and FWIK their format was not patented.
>
> As for more philosophical answer - anything related to multimedia is patented
> but nobody cares. As a very wise guy said few centuries ago about our country
> "A harshness of laws is compensated by them being not compulsory to enforce".

I think normally format patent holders only 'go after' entities who 
distribute patented formats commercially. Regardless, there are plenty 
of other patented formats in the FFmpeg code base. This one codec will 
make little difference. Just in terms of Microsoft, we already have 
wmav1/wmav2/wmv1/wmv2 encoders.

Regards,
Rob