MPEG-LA calls for patent pool to take on DASH streaming

[hajj_3]

scary stuff, the MPEG-LA has called it's members to form a patent pool in regards to the DASH streaming standard which is being used to replace the propriatory HLS which is owned by apple and Adobe's own protocol (can't remember it's name).

http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/News/Online-Video-News/An-Unhappy-Surprise-MPEG-LA-Is-Forming-a-Patent-Pool-for-DASH-105419.aspx

Lots of websites have been moving from HLS over to DASH which was ratified about 2.5yrs ago, now that it is starting to get popular the MPEG-LA has decided to form a patent pool which will almost certainly be used to sue people using DASH unless they pay them a chunk of money.

There is a WebM streaming standard btw which was made about 3yrs ago, not sure how good it is or if it can be used for other codecs than WebM.

[foxyshadis]

Patent pools prevent lawsuits, they don't start them. No big company ever thought DASH was patent-free, but up until a pool is formed Google has to individually pay Motorola, Microsoft, Cisco, etc, and still risk getting sued if it forgets someone. Reasonably priced patent pools are what let proprietary protocols and codecs thrive, it's only unreasonably priced ones or a wild wild west of no pool that creates a cloud of FUD.

(Putting entirely aside the matter or what should or should not be patentable, because not ending up in court is more important to most companies.)