MPEG-4 proponents squeal; MPEG-4 too expensive
C|Net | at | by Mike
Proponents of MPEG-4 are decrying Microsoft's new licensing fees for rival technology, saying that the pricing poses unfair competition and threatens consumer choice. In a first-ever move for Microsoft, it set pricing this week for licensing of its audio and video compression technology, or codecs, for use on non-Windows operating systems. The company says it will charge 10 cents per decoder, 20 cents per encoder, or 25 cents for both.
In comparison, MPEG LA--a consortium of companies holding patents attached to implementations of the MPEG-4 standard--charges 25 cents per encoder and decoder, or 50 cents for both--a fee structure finalized in November. MPEG-4 is an emerging standard for the delivery of digital media on PCs, DVDs and consumer electronics.