The MPEG-LA's Lock On Culture 457
jrepin writes in to recommend a piece by Eugenia from OSNews, which explores the depths of the MPEG-LA's lock on video. One part of the problem is that almost all video cameras, including ones that cost more than $12,000, declare in their manuals that they are for "personal use and non-commercial" purposes only. "We've all heard how the h.264 is rolled over on patents and royalties. Even with these facts, I kept supporting the best-performing 'delivery' codec in the market, which is h.264. 'Let the best win,' I kept thinking. But it wasn't until very recently when I was made aware that the problem is way deeper. No, my friends. It's not just a matter of just 'picking Theora' to export a video to Youtube and be clear of any litigation. MPEG-LA's trick runs way deeper!""
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:3, Funny)
"declare in their manuals that they are for "personal use and non-commercial" purposes only." You don't always do everything that the manual tells you to, do you? I'm pretty sure that thousands of people a day use these cameras for commercial purposes without any problem (I know we use them at work). And I'm also pretty sure the MPEG-LA doesn't want to see the issue end up in court, because they'd probably lose.
Fine solution. Ignore the patents-copyrights. Go Pirate Party!
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:3, Funny)
I imagine most use The Pirate Bay.
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:1, Funny)
Maybe you can pirate a dictionary and learn to spell "ridiculous"?
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:1, Funny)
It's an ironic-spelling, you moran.
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:5, Funny)
Before I started using my camera, I crossed that section out and initialed indicating that I don't agree to that term. I sent the document back to their legal department, and I'm still waiting for them to agree to the changes.
In the mean time, since I haven't heard from them, I'm going to proceed with using the camera.
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:GIF shenanigans (Score:5, Funny)
MPEG-LA better not mess with the BBC. They've got the Doctor on their side!
Economics (Score:2, Funny)
Defending an infringment lawsuit would be very expensive. On the other hand, rifle ammunition is quite cheap.
How many people are on the MPEG-LA board?
Re:Who reads the manual? (Score:3, Funny)
OK, I'll throw in my lame attempt at a car analogy.
It's the equivalent of a tire manufacturer with a patent or two on how their tires are made (presumably some chemical process/formula that makes it differ in some minor way from others), charged royalties to the car company for using the tires with their cars, the gas company for every mile driven using their gas to turn the tires AND the consumer for every rotation of said tires. And if some poor kid decides to tie one of those tires up to a tree and swing on it? Ho-ho-ho, christmas come early, cause that kid is gonna spend the rest of his natural born life with garnished wages for his unlicensed misuse of their technology.
Laugh now, but I'm about to go take down my tire swing.
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)