Re: [DMCA-Activists] MP3 decoding royalties

[Jean-Michel Smith]

On Tuesday 27 August 2002 02:54 pm, Matthew Caron wrote:
> http://slashdot.org/articles/02/08/27/1626241.shtml?tid=155
>
> Götz writes "The licensing terms of Thomson and the Fraunhofer
> Gesellschaft, who are the owners of the mp3 patents, have changed. Now
> not only mp3 encoders but also mp3 decoders require a license. This page
> lists the fees -- it's $0.75 per decoder. As a consequence, Red Hat has
> already removed all mp3 players from the Rawhide development version."
>
> Some thoughts:
> 1.) Something tells me I'll be converting all my MP3's to Ogg Vorbis
> shortly. I hear it's better, I've just been lazy.

You will be disappointed if you convert existing mp3 files to ogg files, as 
you will then have all the lossiness of mp3 PLUS the lossiness of ogg vorbis.

If your mp3s were ripped from your own CDs, I recommend strongly you re-rip 
your CDs directly into ogg format.  It is true that ogg sounds better than 
mp3 (at least to me), but only if ripped from a good source.

FWIW converting ogg to mp3 has the same problem (I've done that in order to 
use a portable mp3 player ... when will we finally get our portable ogg 
players?)

> 2.) Good thing I haven't bought an AudioTron yet. I wonder if it does
> Ogg. Or if it will soon.

Anyone know if and when a hardware ogg-vorbis portable player will be offered?  
I am in the market for one, as most of my music is in ogg format already.

> 4.) Writing and distributing a decoder counts as what? Patent
> infringement?

Only in those countries that recognize software patents (a small minority of 
the world BTW)

Jean.