Comment Re:Pff, patents (Score 1) 113
RTFA. This patent issue has nothing to do with H.264 or its owner (yes, it has an owner, otherwise it couldn't be patented) the MPEG-LA body. Again, the technology wasn't developed or patented by Google, but by On2 before Google bought them off. You claim they are freeloaders, but in fact they paid for the company that owned a bunch of patents that wasn't an issue until Google released it with complete free patent terms.
VP8 isn't not a copy of H.264, but it uses similar technology... surprise, surprise, there are a bunch of software and algorithm out there who resemble to each other, just simply following from the fact that they address the same problem space. In computing (and possibly everywhere else, but I can only speak for computing in my experience), the real drive to the future is development, which is, by definition, incremental. "Innovation" is the operative term of PR departments and politicians for development and has little to do to the actual tech we have. Things are not "innovated" by hundreds of software engineers and researchers/scientist, but gradually developed, built every single step not just simply the previous generation, but every previous component. This makes software products and algorithms reliable, useful and good candidate for becoming a standard.
I don't doubt the technical merits of H.264 but for many it doesn't fit the bill for freeness that we reasonably require for our data. It's similar story as the MP3. You say
Why? Because Jesus told you so? If you were correct, where would the TV industry be today?
Why, you ask. Well, simply because only a completely free algorithm can become really standard, because they are in the public space. Everybody is allowed to create software/hardware to show them/play them for no charge. This opens the door for all who want to contribute, without restriction.
I don't mind a legislation that requires crediting of the developers of the algorithm, in fact I would make it obligatory, not optional depending on contract. We have too much white labels already. But that's a completely different stuff.