02.11.11
Lobbyists From Microsoft, Apple, and Nokia Are Backing Potential Patent Lawsuit Against Google/WebM
Summary: The three main boosters of MPEG-LA get closer together today as preparations are seemingly made to make the World Wide Web’s multimedia nonfree
TECHRIGHTS has been researching the Nokia deal all day today and there is a detailed post under the covers (still in preparation for increased breadth and precision). Separate from all that hoi polloi we have an important subject to discuss which involves not only Microsoft and Nokia. Apple plays a considerable role in it. It’s to do with MPEG-LA, the patent troll-run firm which is trying to tax all video on-line and off-line. “Intellectual property is the next software,” Nathan Myhrvold once said. He is Microsoft's patent troll and his idea of software is clearly incompatible with Free/open source software. This is exactly why companies like Microsoft have been grooming patent firms and destroying (or taking over) real technology firms for a very long time. Basically, if software is always encumbered by patents, then it can never be freely distributed. This makes new laws a potential attack vector by which to defeat free competition very cheaply. Sadly enough, Nokia too is part of this cartel, which happened to defend MPEG-LA. The person who did this on behalf of Nokia had also worked for Microsoft (the apple falls not so far from the tree). In our post about Nokia we’ll expand on that a little. There are rumours that Nokia’s Elop might give Microsoft patents to attack Android with, in due time. It’s all that Microsoft has got left now that Windows — the crucial common carrier — loses quite rapidly.
“It’s all that Microsoft has got left now that Windows — the crucial common carrier — loses quite rapidly.”According to Jamie Love, as foreseen, “Gary Locke, the US Secretary of Commerce (and former Microsoft lobbyist), tours India promoting higher IPR protection”; also see this older page from Jamie, as Locke is also close to the Gates Foundation with all its monopolies and patents lust/lobbying. Foundations such as Bill’s are well understood by Jamie, who does a good job tracking Microsoft lobbyists and Gates' purchase of the media (to distort coverage about this foundation).
As promised at the start, here is how the story of Apple, Nokia, and Microsoft connects quite clearly. These are the biggest pushers out there for MPEG-LA (based on their actions) and Slashdot — among other sources — informs that MPEG-LA prepares for extortion/lawsuit (two side of the same coin) against free multimedia codecs:
Confirming speculation from last year, an anonymous reader tips news that MPEG LA has posted a request for information about establishing a patent pool for the VP8 video codec.
Here is the original source:
MPEG LA, LLC, world leader in alternative one-stop patent licenses, announces a call for patents essential to the VP8 video codec specification used to deliver video images. The VP8 video codec is defined by the WebM Project at http://www.webmproject.org.
In order to participate in the creation of, and determine licensing terms for, a joint VP8 patent license, any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the VP8 video codec specification is invited to submit them for a determination of their essentiality by MPEG LA’s patent evaluators. At least one essential patent is necessary to participate in the process, and initial submissions should be made by March 18, 2011. Although only issued patents will be included in the license, in order to participate in the license development process, patent applications with claims that their owners believe are essential to the specification and likely to issue in a patent also may be submitted. Further information, along with terms and procedures governing patent submissions, can be found at http://www.mpegla.com/main/pid/vp8/default.aspx.
Nokia and Apple previously lobbied for MPEG-LA’s patent traps to stay valid in HTML5. That was a long time ago and a lot of backlash ensued. Nokia and Apple got singled out and Microsoft does the same these days. Now that Nokia is almost a part of Microsoft, it is a lot easier to highlight the source of the problem and ways of addressing it. This discussion will carry on in a future post. █
