MPEG LA は、同社が管理する AVC特許ポートフォリオライセンス のロイヤリティ免除を発表したそうです。

MPEG LA’s AVC License Will Not Charge Royalties for Internet Video that is Free to End Users through Life of License

(DENVER, CO, US – 26 August 2010) – MPEG LA announced today that its AVC Patent Portfolio License will continue not to charge royalties for Internet Video that is free to end users (known as “Internet Broadcast AVC Video”) during the entire life of this License. MPEG LA previously announced it would not charge royalties for such video through December 31, 2015 (see http://www.mpegla.com/Lists/MPEG%20LA%20News%20List/Attachments/226/n-10-02-02.pdf), and today’s announcement makes clear that royalties will continue not to be charged for such video beyond that time. Products and services other than Internet Broadcast AVC Video continue to be royalty-bearing.

MPEG LA’s AVC Patent Portfolio License provides access to essential patent rights for the AVC/H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) digital video coding standard. In addition to Internet Broadcast AVC Video, MPEG LA’s AVC Patent Portfolio License provides coverage for devices that decode and encode AVC video, AVC video sold to end users for a fee on a title or subscription basis and free television video services. AVC video is used in set-top boxes, media player and other personal computer software, mobile devices including telephones and mobile television receivers, Blu-ray Disc™ players and recorders, Blu-ray video optical discs, game machines, personal media player devices and still and video cameras.

多くのビデオ配信などでも使われているビデオコーデックの MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 もポートフォリオライセンスには含まれているということなので、今後もインターネット上で MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 が手軽に利用できそうです。

もともと MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 は、2015年12月31日 まではロイヤリティフリーということだったらしいんですけど、今回の発表で 2016年以降 の心配はなくなったということですから、ありがたい話です。