Industry forum welcomes MPEG-LA announcement on licensing terms, urges discussion on the details.

San Ramon, 4 February 2024 - The MPEG-4 Industry Forum (M4IF) today welcomed the January 31 announcement by MPEG-LA of a licensing program for the Visual part of the MPEG-4 multimedia coding standard. M4IF also announced initiating an open industry discussion on the licensing terms and other issues that affect the uptake of MPEG-4.

"M4IF is very happy to finally see license holders announcing a license program", said Rob Koenen, President of M4IF. "This is hard evidence that MPEG-4 is gathering momentum. It is great that 18 companies have reached this long-awaited consensus."

There is concern among M4IF members over whether the terms are practical for the whole variety of markets adopting MPEG-4. M4IF received many reactions to the licensing program, ranging from 'this sounds reasonable' to 'this will never work', depending on the envisaged application area.

M4IF believes that the terms presented in the MPEG-LA press release need further clarification and discussion. Those details will determine whether the program adequately supports existing services such as mobile use, broadcasting, media distribution and Internet streaming, as well as radically new MPEG-4 services.

M4IF encourages licensors and their representatives to engage in the discussion with the rest of the MPEG-4 community. "I am confident that licensors, many of them M4IF members, are ready to listen to the arguments before the licensing details are finalized", said Koenen. "This benefits all. Both licensors and licensees want MPEG-4 to succeed, and thus both require reasonable licensing in all markets."

The open discussion list is at [email protected]. Anyone can subscribe at http://www.m4if.org/public/publiclistreg.php.

About MPEG-4

MPEG-4 is the interactive coding standard for all digital multimedia platforms. Developed by the "Moving Picture Experts Group" that designed MPEG-2 (the digital television standard), MPEG-1 and MP3. Being object-based and extending beyond video and audio, MPEG-4 supports rich, interactive, standards-based multimedia from low bandwidths to transparent quality.

About M4IF

M4IF is represents more than 100 companies from diverse industries evenly distributed across North America, Europe and Asia, addressing MPEG-4 adoption issues that go beyond the charter of ISO/IEC MPEG.

Activities of the forum include an interoperability program, certification, several working groups, access to ISO/MPEG committee members, and an annual conference (WEMP-4). For more information visit: http://www.m4if.org

Press Contact:
Rob Koenen, President M4IF
+1 408 823 7512
[email protected]