MP3 Patents, was id3libv1.0.0

[Scott Kane]

> The below "chilling effects" link was from 1998. Those guys wanted to 
> charge a hefty per-song fee as well then. Yeah, right.

Yup.  They haven't been short on ideas for charging out fees.

>  That was a long time ago, and there are a lot more shareware out there 
> still using MP3 encoding. What about LAME?

They took several swipes at LAME.  They may yet take another.

> Also if Fraunhoffer patented the process in the 80's or 90's, remember 
> that patents granted before 1995 only have 17 years before expiring, which 
> could be Real Soon Now.

2011 I believe.

> Interestingly, Fraunhoffer are giving away music and CROSS PLATFORM 
> (including LINUX) players for 5.1 SURROUND!! SDKs, too. Their encoding 
> software is all command-line (therefore a possible Rev project!).

On one programming audio library site run by a small author it has been 
suggested that using licensed versions on the OS to call MP3 may negate the 
need to have a license.  Dunno.  But given that a huge majority of software 
(shareware) and hardware for the MP3 format is coming from countries who are 
not Berne signatories (though Patents are not covered by a Berne agreement I 
believe) makes it very hard for them to enforce and collect on those 
products.  For example China is manufacturing MP3 players and pays zero for 
any patents.   Here in Australia some MP3 player shipments from China have 
been seized at customs due to this - but I never heard anything about the 
eventual outcome of the seizure.  Patent law really needs an overhaul, 
especially as it relates to software.

On another note.  After looking at my doc's (licenses) today I can state 
categorically that Thompson supplied zero evidence to me within those doc's 
and licenses of an actual statement covering tags in MP3 files.  There is 
stuff on file format and compression but nothing on tags *at all*.  So from 
this I can only conclude that if you discuss an issue with their legal 
department they'll claim anything as theirs if they think they can get away 
with it.

Scott