Several requests for OGG in Internet Tablets, but no definitive answer why not.
Now there is an answer: According to Nokia, Ogg is “proprietary technology” and they fear that it is “encumbered”. The reasoning behind this appears to be “risk of submarine patents”.
Which is curious, since Nokia is one of the supporters of software patents in Europe. So do they like software patents or not? It’s not clear. This particular choice of OGG being risky is also curious, since Linux, Gnome and Mozilla and other software foundations of Maemo Internet Tablets are IMHO equally at risk of being plastered with submarine patents.
There are other companies happily selling OGG-capable hardware and software. Why is (e.g.) Samsung not afraid of the very risk that Apple and Nokia fear?
So, what is the problem with OGG? The whole explanation doesn’t add up. And the way we handle patents still sucks.
Why doesn’t Nokia buy something like this:
http://insurance.cch.com/rupps/patent-infringement-liability-insurance.htm
No idea what that would cost, however… I think, it should be rather cheap because the chance that such a submarine ascends is probably very low.
The FSF endorses OGG. See: http://www.fsf.org/resources/formats/playogg
Quite frankly, when the specification is in the public domain and fully open source there is nothing “proprietary” about it.
For an example of what even a tiny amount of real proprietary code will do, have a look at the Firefox/IceWeazle controversy. Seriously, if OGG was in *any* an issue, we’d be hearing these same sort of OSS complaints regarding it. We don’t because it doesn’t exist even at the ridiculously low threshold that created the Firefox trouble.
Also in news this week, Nokia is considering a revenue sharing model similar to Apple’s. Ouch.
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