AfterDawn: News

H.264 goes permanently royalty-free

The MPEG-LA video standards group has revealed their overhauled AVC License this week, and in a somewhat surprising move, the group has made H.264 and AVC video use on the Internet permanently royalty-free.

MPEG-LA had planned to begin charging companies to use streaming H.264 in 2016 but now it will be free indefinitely as long as the viewers aren't being charged.



Pay-for video, and corporate use, will require a license, which costs money.

H.264 is now effectively available for HTML5 video, as well as for use within Flash containers.

Google created the WebM standard to rival H.264, although most of its advantages are negated now, since both will be free and offer similar perks.

MPEG-LA says that WebM violates patents and that users may eventually be forced to pay in the long term.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 27 Aug 2010 0:00

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• 4 comments

• SuckRaven

  Unfortunately, since the entities streaming the content now have no way to make money off of H.264 from the viewer, they will simply stop providing content, or just move to a different codec. Shame.

  27.8.2010 08:24 #1

• vurbal

  Originally posted by SuckRaven: Unfortunately, since the entities streaming the content now have no way to make money off of H.264 from the viewer, they will simply stop providing content, or just move to a different codec. Shame.
  Actually it doesn't change anything. It just extends the current free license forever.
  

  Freedom of speech is ultra important so stupid people will make their stupid statements so we know how stupid they are.
  
  - Ted Nugent

  27.8.2010 09:22 #2

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by vurbal: Originally posted by SuckRaven: Unfortunately, since the entities streaming the content now have no way to make money off of H.264 from the viewer, they will simply stop providing content, or just move to a different codec. Shame.
  Actually it doesn't change anything. It just extends the current free license forever. The license is only free if you do not charge for content or make profit in any other way (like advertising).

  28.8.2010 02:41 #3

• vurbal

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by vurbal: Originally posted by SuckRaven: Unfortunately, since the entities streaming the content now have no way to make money off of H.264 from the viewer, they will simply stop providing content, or just move to a different codec. Shame.
  Actually it doesn't change anything. It just extends the current free license forever. The license is only free if you do not charge for content or make profit in any other way (like advertising).
  That's not true. The license terms state, "In the case of Internet broadcast (AVC video that is delivered via the Worldwide Internet to an end user for which the End User does not pay remuneration for the right to receive or view, i.e., neither title-by-title nor subscription), there will be no royalty." You can charge advertisers all you want without paying royalties, just not the end user.
  

  Freedom of speech is ultra important so stupid people will make their stupid statements so we know how stupid they are.
  
  - Ted Nugent

  30.8.2010 01:16 #4