Did Google Let Patent Trolls Quash Key Open Source Technology?

Posted by thevarguy2 on Jun 3, 2013 3:42 AM EDT
The VAR Guy; By Christopher Tozzi
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From headline-grabbing threats by Microsoft to more subdued court battles involving the cloud, the open-source ecosystem has a pretty good record of winning patent challenges. But a crushing defeat has now tarnished that record with Google's (GOOG) grudging surrender in a campaign to make the open-source VP8 video codec ubiquitous across the Web. Free-software stalwarts need not panic, though: In this case, they can blame Google, not a systemic failure by the open-source world itself.

From headline-grabbing threats by Microsoft to more subdued court battles involving the cloud, the open-source ecosystem has a pretty good record of winning patent challenges. But a crushing defeat has now tarnished that record with Google's (GOOG) grudging surrender in a campaign to make the open-source VP8 video codec ubiquitous across the Web. Free-software stalwarts need not panic, though: In this case, they can blame Google, not a systemic failure by the open-source world itself.

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Subject Topic Starter Replies Views Last Post
Google's VP8 codec license is OK after all henke54 0 1,079 Jun 3, 2013 7:31 AM
WebM and the New VP9 Open Video Codec henke54 0 1,196 Jun 3, 2013 5:57 AM

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