forum.vdsworld.com Forum Index forum.vdsworld.com
Visit VDSWORLD.com
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 


New MP3 licenses = no more mp3 support
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    forum.vdsworld.com Forum Index -> Other Product Support/Announcements
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
PGWARE
Web Host


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 1562

PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:18 pm    Post subject: New MP3 licenses = no more mp3 support Reply with quote

It looks like the powers that be decided to change the license agreement for MP3's. This applies to every single mp3 application in existence whether they are free or not. Basically Thomson and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft who own the patents to the mp3 technology are chargng .75 per software or a flat $60,000 fee! to DECODE. Yes that's right no longer do these patent fees apply just to encoding mp3's but as of August 27, 2002 they now apply to decoding (playing mp3's from your software).

The big picture? Basically the vdsmpeg.dll which I distribute is no longer going to be distributed. Sorry but I can't afford to give out .75 per use of the dll. Even if people do not register I am charged a 75 cent per unit/download and that's something I am not willing to pay. This will also apply to all other mp3 dll's around as well as applications (freeware, shareware, whatever). If your application uses mp3 in anyway you'll need to shell out .75 cents per downloaded copy.

Alternatvies - move to ogg vorbis, this is a better alternative to mp3 and is free for both encoding and decoding!

Don't belive me? Read this article:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news2.php3?ID=4628

Still don't believe me? Read the exact licensing terms on Thomson and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft site:
www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/software.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
FreezingFire
Admin Team


Joined: 23 Jun 2002
Posts: 3508

PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even though I read it, I still cannot believe it. Shocked
I must be dreaming... Confused

_________________
FreezingFire
VDSWORLD.com
Site Admin Team


Last edited by FreezingFire on Sat Mar 01, 2003 5:06 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
PGWARE
Web Host


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 1562

PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As an update - if you use Windows Media Player/mci as your decoder then I doubt you will have to pay the fee but I'm really not sure.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
marty
Professional Member
Professional Member


Joined: 10 May 2001
Posts: 789

PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2002 4:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now we need a OGG vORBIS DLL... Ill check that out... Wink


Bye bye MP3!...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
marty
Professional Member
Professional Member


Joined: 10 May 2001
Posts: 789

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey it was all a fake...

Read this:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news2.php3?ID=4655

Now to reactivate my site and VDSWORLD Media Player...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
Tommy
Admin Team


Joined: 16 Nov 2002
Posts: 746
Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe you should read again on the page that Prakash mentioned:

http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/software.html

Looks too obvious to me...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Garrett
Moderator Team


Joined: 04 Oct 2001
Posts: 2149
Location: A House

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Note: No license is needed for private, non-commercial activities (e.g., home-entertainment, receiving broadcasts and creating a personal music library), not generating revenue or other consideration of any kind or for entities with an annual gross revenue less than US$ 100 000.00. "

http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/emd.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Tommy
Admin Team


Joined: 16 Nov 2002
Posts: 746
Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oops, didn't notice that one...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Dr. Dread
Professional Member
Professional Member


Joined: 03 Aug 2001
Posts: 1065
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Garrett wrote:
"Note: No license is needed for private, non-commercial activities (e.g., home-entertainment, receiving broadcasts and creating a personal music library), not generating revenue or other consideration of any kind or for entities with an annual gross revenue less than US$ 100 000.00. "

http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/emd.html


Well, now I'm really confused 8O

But as far as I can tell Garret's quotation relates to the right to distribute, broadcast and/or stream mp3 encoded data.
It seems that Tommy might be right when it comes to PC software applications.

Greetz
Dread

_________________
~~ Alcohol and calculus don't mix... Don't drink and derive! ~~

String.DLL * advanced string processing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
LOBO
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor


Joined: 14 Mar 2002
Posts: 241
Location: Wilmington, Delaware, USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Below is a quote taken from http://www.cdfreaks.com/news2.php3?ID=4655.

Quote:
Statement from Thomson Multimedia, mp3 Licensing

In a posting appearing Tuesday August 27, 2002 on the Web site 'slashdot.org', an individual cited a change in the mp3 license fee structure of Thomson and Fraunhofer. The writer of the post apparently misread the mp3 licensing conditions, as Thomson's mp3 licensing policy has not experienced any change.

To clarify, since the beginning of our mp3 licensing program in 1995, Thomson has never charged a per unit royalty for freely distributed software decoders. For commercially sold decoders -- primarily hardware mp3 players -- the per-unit royalty has always been in place since the beginning of the program. Therefore, there is no change in our licensing policy and we continue to believe that the royalty fees of .75 cents per mp3 player (on average selling over $200 dollars) has no measurable impact on the consumer experience.


This statement says there has been no change in the mp3 licensing policy. That's what everyone was worried about. There has been no change. The .75 cents is charged per commerically sold unit - primarily hardware decoders but could be stated for software as well but there probably is an income amout as Garrett stated that you must reach before they demand the fee.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
Tommy
Admin Team


Joined: 16 Nov 2002
Posts: 746
Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even if the conditions didn't change, they may still always have been bad... Please
note that the www.mp3licensing.com site seems more authoritative than the
www.cdfreakz.com site. Still of course everyone should be careful, what didn't
happen right now, just might happen anytime (soon or not) in the future.

Although I'm not sure, I feel Dr. Dread is probably right.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
LOBO
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor


Joined: 14 Mar 2002
Posts: 241
Location: Wilmington, Delaware, USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tommy wrote:
Even if the conditions didn't change, they may still always have been bad


Yes I agree. I was just stating that nothing had actually changed from what had been. Even though many of us may not have known what had actually been.

Tommy wrote:
Still of course everyone should be careful, what didn't
happen right now, just might happen anytime (soon or not) in the future.


Very true:!:

I think i'll join the doctor in the land of confusion Confused
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
Garrett
Moderator Team


Joined: 04 Oct 2001
Posts: 2149
Location: A House

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The whole content of the license on their pages doesn't really clarify exactly what they mean. It's all so damn vague that it could almost be interpreted in either direction.

-Garrett
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nick
Contributor
Contributor


Joined: 15 Aug 2000
Posts: 50
Location: hamburg,nj

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello all:
I think Thomson is being vague on purpose as to not upset their monopoly -or they are unaware of their lawyers intentions. It is clear that if you use the mp3 object code libraries in you software you owe them .75. Their intentions are probably to keep their current license holders in line and allow small players no license -but I am sure that would be laughed out of court.

However if are just distributing mp3 encoded media you can wait until you reach the 100000.00 level.

Nick
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
marty
Professional Member
Professional Member


Joined: 10 May 2001
Posts: 789

PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I'm definetly going to change format to OGG Vorbis in my next release of my multimedia player.

After that confusing press release and their licensing stuff, Im not going to take any chance. These guys are in for the money.. and their going pretty soon hit the freeware players. Like Tommy said "what didn't
happen right now, just might happen anytime (soon or not) in the future" and I totaly agree.

Espacially after all the research I've done on the net lately regarding OGG Vorbis which is superior in quality to MP3.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    forum.vdsworld.com Forum Index -> Other Product Support/Announcements All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum

Twitter@vdsworld       RSS

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group