[codec] MPEG Issues Resolution on Type-1 (Royalty-Free) Standardization

[Rob Glidden <[e-mail]>]

MPEG --- Working Group 11 of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29 <http://www.sc29.org> 
--- has issued a resolution seeking active participation in developing a 
Type-1 (royalty-free) video coding standard.

Would seem opportune for the IETF codec working group to reach out, 
since charter says:

"The working group will communicate a detailed description of the 
requirements and goals to other SDOs including the ITU-T, 3GPP, and MPEG 
to help determine if existing codecs meet the requirements and goals."

Publicly-released information from recent MPEG meetings on royalty-free 
standardization is excerpted below.

Rob

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http://www.robglidden.com/2010/04/mpeg-resolution-on-royalty-free-standardization/ 


*Resolutions, the 92nd SC 29/WG 11 Meeting, 2010-04-19/23, Dresden, Germany*

SC 29/WG 11 N 11241

http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/open/29view/29n11185c.htm

*Type-1 License Video Coding Standard*

Given that there is a desire for using royalty free video coding 
technologies for some applications such as video distribution over the 
Internet, MPEG wishes to enquire of National Bodies about their 
willingness to commit to active participation (as defined by Section 
6.2.1.4 of the JTC1 directives) in developing a Type-1 video coding 
standard. MPEG would appreciate if NBs provide the names of individual 
organisations that will commit resources. MPEG will use the information 
gathered from the NB responses, particularly including the number of 
countries willing to actively participate, in order to decide at the 
Geneva meeting whether to request approval of a new Work Item Proposal. 
MPEG does not intend to reopen the issue, unless strong support of at 
least five national bodies is presented in the future.

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*ISO/IEC JTC 1 N8557, ISO/IEC JTC 1 Directives, 5th Edition, Version 3.0*

http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/directives.pdf

6.2.1.3 ... In order to be approved, the proposal shall be supported by 
a majority of all P-members of JTC 1 with at least five P-members of the 
SC to which the project will be assigned committed to active 
participation. ...

6.2.1.4  Active participation for NPs includes involvement by NBs in 
more than one of the following:

. Attendance at meetings (see also 7.11);
. Contributing to the development of the WD;
. Performing substantial review on a CD and subsequent stages;
. Submitting detailed comment with ballots.

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*Meeting Report, the 91st SC 29/WG 11 Meeting, 2010-01-18/22, Kyoto, Japan*

SC 29/WG 11 N 11077

http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/open/29view/29n11151c.htm

*Royalty-free Codecs*

In order to help with the discussion on royalty-free codecs, several 
National Bodies provided input as requested in N11066/ Call for Comments 
on Possible Future activities on "Royalty-free" Standardization by 
MPEG/. MPEG thanks with N11222 /Responses to NB position statements on 
N1066/. No clear conclusions could be drawn from the diverse responses. 
Furthermore, neither MPEG nor ISO can guarantee that a standard 
developed with the goal of being RAND or royalty-free will actually be 
RAND or royalty-free since the analysis of patents is outside of the 
scope and competence of ISO and MPEG.

MPEG issued document N11221 /Possible future actions on standardization 
with Type 1 licensing/ where the legal issues are summarized and 
discussed. Type 1 licensing refers to option 1 of the joint patent 
declaration form, where an intellectual property holder can indicate 
that he will not charge for his IP. Laymen refer to this type of 
licensing as royalty-free.

However, MPEG believes that 20 years after its publication some 
technology will become royalty-free. Since parts of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 
were published in 2013 and 2014, candidates are a MPEG-2 Part 2 baseline 
profile carved out of MPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 2 baseline 
profile carved out of the MPEG-1 part 3 Layer 2, a MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 3 
baseline profile carved out of the MPEG-1 part 3 Layer 3, and a MPEG-2 
Part 1 baseline profile carved out of the MPEG-2 part 1. These 
candidates would be compatible with existing equipment. Alternatively, 
MPEG may define a new set of standards which are believed to be RF 
provided such standards provide sufficient differentiation to be 
successful in the market place.

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*Meeting Report, the 90th SC 29/WG 11 Meeting, 2009-10-26/30, Xian, China*

SC 29/WG 11 N 10876

http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/open/29view/29n10944c.htm

*Royalty-free Codecs*

The Chinese National Body encouraged MPEG to discuss the option of 
royalty-free codecs developed within MPEG (N11065 /Responses to CNNB 
position statement on more friendly IPR policy/). Especially small 
companies perceive licensing as cumbersome. Some royalty free standards 
have become successful in the market place.

MPEG might consider royalty-free codecs only as a supplement to its 
current standards development process. The preliminary results of the 
discussion are summarized in N11067 /Summary of Issues and question from 
the 90th MPEG Meeting in connection with CNNB input document (M16903)/. 
In order to help with this discussion, MPEG requests National Bodies to 
provide input according to N11066/ Call for Comments on Possible Future 
activities on "Royalty-free" Standardization by MPEG/.

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