Continuing from the previous XviD-news (XViD Development stopped!):

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020822/220286_1.html
"Thursday August 22, 9:33 pm Eastern Time
Press Release

SOURCE: Sigma Designs, Inc.
Sigma Makes Source Code Available for Its MPEG-4 Video CODEC

MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2002--Sigma Designs, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGM - News), a leader in IP video streaming solutions, today announced the release of the source code behind its free MPEG-4 video CODEC that works as a plug-in under Windows® and encodes digitized video content into fully compatible ISO MPEG-4 video files. The complete source code will be available for download starting August 23, free of charge, through Sigma's website (www.sigmadesigns.com), to support developers wishing to enhance the MPEG-4 encoding.

"We are pleased to provide the development community with an open source MPEG-4 CODEC, and anticipate that this will accelerate technical improvements and enhance the proliferation of MPEG-4 content," stated Ken Lowe, Sigma Designs' vice president of business development.

About Sigma Designs, Inc.

Sigma Designs specializes in silicon-based MPEG decoding for streaming video, progressive DVD playback, and advanced digital set-top boxes. The company's award-winning REALmagic® Video Streaming Technology is used in both commercial and consumer applications providing highly integrated solutions for high- quality decoding of MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., the company also has sales offices in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.sigmadesigns.com/."

Heh, that was fast..

But as pointed at doom9 forum, Sigma must still give the proper credit according to GPL licence.

If somebody still has no idea what's this about, read this news first:
XViD Development stopped!

Heh, seems the GPL won't be tested in court yet.

I doubt a single court case would establish any long-term precedents, unless it was very high profile.

One of these days Microsoft is either gonna get "fed up" or scared, then the GPL will have its high-profile, important case.

This ammounts to another slap in the face unless Sigma gives credit to Xvid, DXN, and momusys. Which at this point they are not. They are dancing around like the second coming of DXN shouting "Look how generous we are! We are giving you all of "our" hard work for free!". If this is the case this would be the worst insult yet dwarfing the previous two! We shall just have to wait and see in the morning. If so there will be hell to pay.

The situation is very interesting. Since Envivio licences the Sigma MPEG-4 codec which is infringing the GPL licence (at least until Sigma gives proper credit to XviD), Envivio is in this mess too.

Sigma and Envivio should be showing their MPEG-4 solutions at IBC2002 which is held 13-17 September in Amsterdam.

Also, the information I have is that at IBC there will be presented somekind of "mpeg-4 floor"-solution with showcase of the mpeg-4 technology by many companies, including Sigma.

I wonder if Sigma's use of XviD code without proper permission is going to complicate things. This could mean even bigger mess than previously thought.

They're even in a mess, if Sigma releases their sources under the GPL (they have to), since linking to GPL libraries/programs in non-GPL software is forbidden.

dev0

Hmm, if it wasn't for the 40 Euros entry price, I would go there. I probably will, anyway. Just have to find out if any other interesting companies will be there.

EDIT: Ok, Fraunhofer and Dolby are there, I'm going

Menno

I will probably be there, too I must see this revolutionary Sigma&Envivio MPEG-4 codec..

such a shame...

Might as well conduct a "hoertest" while we're there

Menno

Doom9 's update:



Somewhere (i remember a discussion on Xiph.org about LAME legality) i read that releasing patented material under GPL is forbidden...

I think XviD & Sigma are infringing GPL too.


Any clarification ?

No it's not forbidden.
What is forbidden in what they did is changing the copyright to Sigma Design. They can be sued for that (and they should be !).

According to the MPEGLA you cn distribute 50,000 coppies of your software codec before you must pay royalties. Or at least that is the most held interpritation of the MPEG4 license to date. So up untill they reach 50,000 downloads of their codec which to date is at 0 they should be just fine with the GPL. After which they would have to pay royalties.

As for releasing pattented or copyright material under the GPL. It is done fairly regularly. The FSF does it. The trick here is that this is not pattented by the FSF. The pattents and licensing do not concern the pattent holders in their eyes. Said code is not going to do much. Once it is in a workable binary form they become interested.

MPEG4 is not some closed proprietary spec. It is out there for everyone to see and impliment. In fact the guys who wrote the standard will most likely be the last ones to impliment it. They are counting on companies an such projects to make them popular.