“AT&T has begun to name names in its hunt to license its MPEG video compression patents. AT&T possesses several patents related to video compression, which the company says are an essential component of the MPEG-4 video technology. In a bid to drive its global licensing program, AT&T has targeted Apple Computer, Inc., CyberLink Corp., DivX, Inc., InterVideo, Inc., and Sonic Solutions as unlicensed companies whose products and software utilize the MPEG-4 technology,” Bary Alyssa Johnson and Mark Hachman report for PC Magazine. “AT&T has also contacted national retailers that distribute products from the companies listed above, to let them know that they may be held liable for infringement.”
Johnson and Hachman report, “All of the companies named in the letter are involved with the editing, processing, or playback of video. With its video-enabled iPod, Apple is a high-profile target. ‘This is all standard stuff, the only thing that makes it sexy is the fact that Video iPods [and similar products] are now very popular,’ said Greg Aharonian, editor of the Internet Patent News Service. ‘So if any of those companies are using this technology, they may have a problem.'”
Full article here.
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In other news, AT&T still sucks.
I hope they can afford what this will cost if they lose
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(Yes, I know they have a LOT of cash.)
Behold the dead and dying and formerly relevant like AT&T emerging from the cracks in the floorboards like so many cockroaches looking for the prize.
SCREW THEM!
Enough of the lawsuits already! Geeez!
AT&T still sucks after all these years. They couldn’t make money with Cell phones when every other one of their competitors are raking in the cash, so now they have to pick up scraps from patents. Hopefully for the shareholders, they’ll make better dumpster divers than innovators.
The western concept of innovation through patent is in danger of being completely expunged within the next 50 years if these kinds of “lying in wait” litigation schemes are permitted to continue.
Where the hell was AT&T — with their supposedly-patented technology — before this?
AT&T, go to hell!
KILL ‘EM APPLE.
“”We’re looking for ways to make sure others are able to take advantage of this technology and expand their capabilities and services by utilizing it, and at the same time we’re able to get fair value back for the research and R&D expenses that go into developing it in the first place.”
“A number of technologies have been developed, most of which relate back to the core communications services we deliver,” Hillary said. “Think about video technologies. That’s certainly one area we’re looking to expand our capabilities for video.”
In other words, “we have no idea how to make any money from downloads and we think we should because we own the network infrastructure, so nyah to you – we’re going to try and leech off the back of the guys who have worked it all out already.”
to sue apple please pick a number and join the ever growing que
The MPEG-4 definition (http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/standards/mpeg-4/mpeg-4.htm) had attained Final status in March 2002 and is an ISO/IEC standard, not some proprietary creation of Apple’s. Why didn’t AT&T approach the committee long ago with their complaints? This seems fishy to me.
Anonymous company head: Hey our products suck and we get no press, what can we do?
Anonymous assistant: Let’s sue Apple, it works for Microsoft and Creative, and many other monkey boy wanna be’s.
Do you think they’ll use the money to make QIP not suck?
> MPEG-4 is an ISO/IEC standard, not some proprietary creation of Apple’s
Thank you bdb… That’s what I thought… Jeezuz Chraist… All these damn lawsuits sure take the fun out of being Apple Computer, Inc…
deedubya you forgot any trailer park living moron that cant figure out you aren’t supposed to store your nano in a garbage disposal and idiot who doesn’t know loud music ruins your ears.
Apple thrives on this. They’ve been fighting uphill battles since………….forever!
As long as they don’t take this AT&T shit laying down
Hey bdb re-read the link you posted: “This software is free of copyright restrictions when used for implementing MPEG-4 compliant technology. (This does not mean that the software is free of patents).”
MPEG-4 is an ISO/IEC standard developed by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), the committee that also developed the Emmy Award winning standards known as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. These standards made interactive video on CD-ROM, DVD and Digital Television possible. MPEG-4 is the result of another international effort involving hundreds of researchers and engineers from all over the world. MPEG-4, with formal as its ISO/IEC designation ‘ISO/IEC 14496’, was finalized in October 1998 and became an International Standard in the first months of 1999. The fully backward compatible extensions under the title of MPEG-4 Version 2 were frozen at the end of 1999, to acquire the formal International Standard Status early in 2000. Several extensions were added since and work on some specific work-items work is still in progress.
ATT is acting on a tip that they received from Redmond.
ring…..ring…..ring…
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Never heard of AT&T.
Yet another parasite wanting blood for another companie’s success.
Anybody that says bad things about Apple I just really, really don´t like them. Even if they are right!!!
Doggone it, quit bursting my bubble.
Stock
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Verbose, you suck
I’m confused…
I thought MPEG LA handled all the licencing for MPEG patents? Is AT&T not part of MPEG LA?
Everyone, repeat after me loudly:
“Software patents should be banned!”
Mathematical formula’s cannot be patented. What makes software any different?
Well…I read the article.
Gee wiz who new that ATT actually made MPEG possible? And if their patents are so important how can they be deemed not critical to the standard?
Patent law is a disaster.