LGPL VP6 decoder released

temporance · 24th March 2006, 22:37

Well, that was zapped pretty quickly by the powers that be. Here's a theory...

On2 must be pretty scared of their codecs' source escaping into the wild because the source could be used to prove patent infringement. Without the source, patent holders like AT&T and Microsoft can only guess that VP6 might tread on their IP.

Having looked at the source, it's interesting that, for a proprietary, independent codec, VP6 shares so many tools with MPEG-4 pt2 and pt10 (H.264).

I'll stop now, I'm being mischevious...

Edit: Naturally I'm not alleging intentional patent infringement on On2's part - my point is that even the most upstanding public company will find it incredibly difficult to create a video codec without treading on multiple patents. By keeping the algorithm closed, companies can ensure they do not place potentially incriminating evidence (source code) in the hands of the "prosecution" (patent holders).

24th March 2006, 22:37	#11 \| Link
temporance Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 486	Well, that was zapped pretty quickly by the powers that be. Here's a theory... On2 must be pretty scared of their codecs' source escaping into the wild because the source could be used to prove patent infringement. Without the source, patent holders like AT&T and Microsoft can only guess that VP6 might tread on their IP. Having looked at the source, it's interesting that, for a proprietary, independent codec, VP6 shares so many tools with MPEG-4 pt2 and pt10 (H.264). I'll stop now, I'm being mischevious... Edit: Naturally I'm not alleging intentional patent infringement on On2's part - my point is that even the most upstanding public company will find it incredibly difficult to create a video codec without treading on multiple patents. By keeping the algorithm closed, companies can ensure they do not place potentially incriminating evidence (source code) in the hands of the "prosecution" (patent holders). Last edited by temporance; 24th March 2006 at 22:43.