[mpeg4] RE: [M4IF Discuss] MPEG-4 license fees: implementing

[Rob Koenen]

Thanks Peter.
According to its Statutes, M4IF cannot set licensing terms or demand
anything of its members with respect to licensing - even if it wanted 
to. (which it does't)
Acting as a focal point for discussions is a role we happily take 
on, though.
Rob Koenen
President, M4IF
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Haighton [mailto:Peter.Haighton   m4if.org]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2024 13:51
> To: Streaming Media MPEG-4
> Cc: discuss   lists.m4if.org; streaming-server-users   lists.apple.com;
> QuickTime Streaming
> Subject: [mpeg4] RE: [M4IF Discuss] MPEG-4 license fees: implementing
> 
> 
> Stef,
> 
> Before anyone replies to this email, I should clarify that it 
> is not the
> MPEG-4 Industry Forum that has set the patents. The M4IF has 
> nothing what
> so ever in setting patent licensing terms. For more 
> information please see
> http://www.m4if.org/patents/clarify.php, which helps to describe this
> relationship.
> 
> Peter
> --
> Peter Haighton
> VideoSpheres Inc.
> 84 Hines Road
> Kanata, Ontario
> Canada, K2K 3G3
> Tel: (613) 270-9646 x3022
> Fax: (613) 271-9442
> email: peterh   VideoSpheres.com
> 
> See http://www.m4if.org for the latest on MPEG-4
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-admin   lists.m4if.org
> [mailto:discuss-admin   lists.m4if.org]On Behalf Of Stef van der Ziel
> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2024 4:29 PM
> To: Streaming Media MPEG-4
> Cc: discuss   lists.m4if.org; streaming-server-users   lists.apple.com;
> QuickTime Streaming
> Subject: [M4IF Discuss] MPEG-4 license fees: implementing
> 
> 
> Hi lists,
> 
> Besides the yes-or-no discussion, I see a few practical problems with
> implementing the 2 cents per hour licensing scheme for MPEG-4:
> 
> - I can live with licensing on this basis (sure, it's more expensive
> than no fee but it's not a very expensive fee), *BUT ONLY under the
> condition that M4if provides me with accurate tracking and billing
> software that's easy to implement on any streaming box. You want me to
> handle tracking and billing? Give me all the tools I need. 
> Don't make me
> pay/invest/develop or work overtime for handling your licensing fees.
> This software should not just track and bill for the sum of 
> streams, but
> on a per-user basis (since any streaming server can be a shared server
> instead of having just one owner!) I need to be able to bill on a per
> client / per stream basis because even our clients (mostly AV / TV
> companies, events, corporates and universities) use their accounts for
> multiple clients. So this system has to be very flexible and 
> be able to
> run on W2000, Linux and MacOS X since all major streaming 
> servers which
> intend to support MPEG-4 run on these platforms. Is it up to the
> developer of this streaming server software (say Apple with
> QuickTime/Darwin Streaming Server) to implement these tracking and
> billing features? IMO, M4if should ask a commercial company to invest
> and develop such tools. Let this company become a member of 
> M4if so they
> can make a profit out of the fees.
> 
> - How can M4if tell the difference between a regular 
> (quicktime) stream
> and a (quicktime) stream with mpeg-4 content?
> 
> - I understood that if the content is made available freely, that no
> fees will be charged? Is this true and if yes, how will M4if 
> be able to
> tell the difference between paid and free content?
> 
> - Clients don't like post-calculated billing: they want to 
> pay a regular
> monthly fee so they can budgetize in front for the whole year. This
> implicates that a streaming hosting account (which also includes
> services for Real, QuickTime and Windows Media streaming) will be more
> expensive even if the client doesn't use MPEG-4 at all. I'm interested
> in M4if's opinion here.
> 
> Stef
> 
> FYI: Two years ago, I developed a streaming server platform called
> Jet-Stream which supports QuickTime, Real and Windows Media streaming
> from one single box. Jet-Stream has quickly gained popularity overhere
> in the Netherlands because it's easy for multiple users which all can
> stream in any supported format from their private single FTP 
> account. We
> provide these hosting facilities ourselves and also sell these systems
> to larger clients so they can have all of their students or employees
> stream from internal accounts. I anticipate full support for MPEG-4
> because Apple announced native support with DSS4/QTSS 4.
> 
>   P.S. I designed a very nice MPEG-4 logo some time ago. How 
> do I jump on
> this licen$ing-owner$hip-wagon? ;-P
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 
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