HTML5 and video patents

From en.swpat.org

HTML is the standard for how to write webpages. HTML5 introduces video, but after lengthy discussions about software patents, the drafters announced on June 30th 2009^[1] that no they could find no freely implementable video format to recommend.

The two candidate formats were H.264 and Ogg Theora, but the former is heavily encumbered by patents while the latter's future was deemed questionable because, as Google's Chris DiBona said:

Here’s the challenge: Can [T]heora move forward without infringing on the other video compression patents?^[2]

HTML is an open standard and aims to be patent-free. Consequently, the risk of patent encumbrances is posing a real problem in extending HTML to provide a standard video interface.

Contents 1 Other software patent issues for HTML5 2 Related pages on en.swpat.org 3 External links 3.1 Drafters discussion 3.2 Press coverage of the announcement 3.3 Further analyses afterwards 4 References

[edit] Other software patent issues for HTML5

In 2007, Apple claim to have patents covering the "canvas" tag,^[3] but they later solved this problem by agreeing to license those patent(s) under the w3c's royalty-free terms.^[4]

[edit] Related pages on en.swpat.org

• Harm to standards
• Audio-video patents
• H.264
• Companies involved in the drafting: Opera, Apple, Google ... (Microsoft only joined afterward)

[edit] External links

[edit] Drafters discussion

• A mail from the HTML5 drafters mailing list - at the bottom, you'll find links to the other mails in that thread. This conversations gives some info on the situation.
• The June 30th announcement, and the ensing discussion

[edit] Press coverage of the announcement

• LWN.net: Ogg codecs dropped from HTML5, reprinting the June 29th announcement email
• Ars Technica's article, July 5th
• Slashdot's initial coverage and later Slashdot discussion
• An Apple forum discussion
• August 2009: Patents, Video, and an Open Internet
• August 2009: Microsoft joins HTML 5 standard fray in earnest (note: this is after the removal of Ogg Theora)

[edit] Further analyses afterwards

• Patents and their effect on Standards:
 Open video codecs for HTML5, from IFOSS Law Review, January 2010

[edit] References

1. ↑ http://lwn.net/Articles/340132/
2. ↑ http://www.mail-archive.com/whatwg@lists.whatwg.org/msg15476.html
3. ↑ http://lists.whatwg.org/pipermail/whatwg-whatwg.org/2007-March/010129.html
4. ↑ http://www.w3.org/2004/01/pp-impl/40318/status#current-disclosures