Codec Licensing Issues

[vincente13]

Hi all,

Lets say i am using a LGPL software to encode video files using WMV2, FLV and H263 codecs.

Later on, my entire product becomes commercialise. Is there any licensing issues on using the codecs in my video files?

Appreciate any advice.

[GodofaGap]

Not from the LGPL, it only deals with how the binaries and source code under that license should be distributed. They are not general usage licenses for the binaries themselves. However, those formats are likely to be encumbered with patents, so you will have to take care of that.

[vincente13]

Not from the LGPL, it only deals with how the binaries and source code under that license should be distributed. They are not general usage licenses for the binaries themselves. However, those formats are likely to be encumbered with patents, so you will have to take care of that.

so it is the wmv, flv and h263 codecs that would have problem with legal issues? any idea on getting more information on that issues?

[celtic_druid]

Plenty of commercial apps using libavcodec/format/ffmpeg.

[foxyshadis]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/licensing.aspx

For h.263 and flv, I have no idea, though most of the time up to 20K, 50K, or 100K encoders are free from licensing. If you're really worried you can always contact the patent holders, but they're usually more interested in large customers shipping huge volumes of units.

[vincente13]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/licensing.aspx

For h.263 and flv, I have no idea, though most of the time up to 20K, 50K, or 100K encoders are free from licensing. If you're really worried you can always contact the patent holders, but they're usually more interested in large customers shipping huge volumes of units.

what do u mean by 20k, 50k or 100k encoders?

[foxyshadis]

The amount of your software in circulation. For instance if you've had 6,000 sales of your h.264 encoding or decoding software, you're not liable for anything, because h.264 royalties only start at 100,000 sales. Similarly if you're selling video encoded in h.264, you're not liable until you break 100K of those, and if you're giving them away you're not liable at all until 2011.

But since I couldn't find the licensing details of h.263 and flv, I have no idea what their limits are (but I know the h.263 licensing is much more complicated than h.264's).

[GodofaGap]

I think he means to sell videos, not encoders.

[vincente13]

The amount of your software in circulation. For instance if you've had 6,000 sales of your h.264 encoding or decoding software, you're not liable for anything, because h.264 royalties only start at 100,000 sales. Similarly if you're selling video encoded in h.264, you're not liable until you break 100K of those, and if you're giving them away you're not liable at all until 2011.

But since I couldn't find the licensing details of h.263 and flv, I have no idea what their limits are (but I know the h.263 licensing is much more complicated than h.264's).

thats very interesting..where can i read the h.264 royalties fees?

[foxyshadis]

http://www.mpegla.com/avc/AVC_TermsSummary.pdf