News Articles

"Real Takes the Open-Source Route" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-945406.html
(07-22-02)

RealNetworks unveiled a new open-source version of its streaming media technology that supports multiple file formats for audio and video, including those that use Microsoft's Windows Media technology. The new campaign, dubbed "Helix," and first reported by The New York Times, marks one of the most ambitious moves in the company's history. RealNetworks is simultaneously releasing technology without permission that plugs in to Microsoft's competing software and is raising the hood on much of its own software technology to "open source" developers or anyone else who wants to look.

"Pioneer FM Station Shutters Webcasts" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-945145.html
(07-19-02)

The first commercial radio station to stream its programming live via the Web has quit, making good on threats that it would have to pull its Webcasts in the face of royalty fees.

"Tech Activists Protest Anti-Copying" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-944668.html
(07-17-02)

Enthusiasts of free software disrupted a Commerce Department meeting Wednesday, insisting on their right to debate the entertainment industry over anti-copying technologies.

"Net Radio Appeals on Royalties" - Wired News Article
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,53896,00.html
(07-16-02)

Radio stations have asked a federal appeals court to rule that they do not have to pay musicians and recording companies when they play music on the Internet because they do not pay royalties for regular, over-the-air broadcasts.

"Forget the CD: Consumers Now Buy Music Online" - The Christian Science Monitor Article
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0712/p01s03-ussc.html
(07-12-02)

The expanding ability to go online and download one song at a time at low cost "signals one of the biggest changes to hit the music industry since the LP," says the Christian Science Monitor. As record labels move to offering online subscription services where consumers can buy songs one at a time, it could bring about a fundamental change in how music is conceived and sold, even bringing about the end of the multi-song album or CD format.

"Lawmakers: Keep Your Tunes to Yourself" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-943134.html
(07-11-02)

Legislators are readying a bill that could sharply limit Americans' rights relating to copying music, taping TV shows, and transferring files through the Internet.

"Studios Sue Defunct $1 Movie Site" - ZDNet News Article
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2118909,00.html
(07-11-02)

The movie studios' trade association filed suit Tuesday against Film88.com, a would-be Internet video Web site that has allegedly popped up in several incarnations around the world. Calling the site a "piratical, virtual 'video-on-demand' business", the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its member studios sued the company and an individual allegedly associated with it in a California federal court.

"Universal Music Group to Put Chunk of Library Online" - SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3627682.htm
(07-09-02)

Responding to the rampant spread of unauthorized music swapping on the Internet, Universal Music Group plans to put a large chunk of its vast music library online through a subscription service. UMG, the largest of the five major record companies, will make about 1,000 of its 11,000 albums available to subscribers who pay between $10 and $15 a month. Unlike most other initiatives announced during the last six months, UMG's partnership with Emusic.com, a downloadable music subscription service, gives customers the same ownership rights as if they had bought the music on a CD.

"Online Music Company Muffled by Legal Setback, Mum on Plans" - SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3629760.htm
(07-09-02)

Back in 1999, Audiogalaxy was a thriving Internet business on its way to drawing millions of visitors a month to swap MP3 files and read reviews of music both obscure and esteemed. Now the Austin-based Web site appears all but shut down, silenced by a recording industry copyright infringement lawsuit.

"Net Radio Raises a Pirate Flag" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-941392.html?tag=cd_mh
(07-08-02)

Inspired by Britain's iconoclastic history of pirate radio broadcasting, Iain McLeod wants to save Internet radio. The 39-year-old McLeod, a game designer who works out of his home in England, is the author of Streamer, a new software program designed to let people create online radio stations that are difficult for the authorities to trace.

"Labels Defend MusicNet, Pressplay" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-942066.html?tag=cd_mh
(07-08-02)

Record industry executives and critics are trading barbs at an industry conference this week, with an outspoken legislator saying major labels' online subscription services may amount to a "duopoly."

"Record Labels Mull Suits Against File-Traders" - ZDNet News Article
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/enterprise/story/0,2000025001, 20266473,00.htm
(07-05-02)

Record labels hell-bent on strangling unauthorised music copying on the Internet are considering widening their legal efforts to include lawsuits against individuals, according to industry sources.

"Treating Viewers as Criminals" - Technology Review Article
http://www.corante.com/policy/redir/7549.html
(07-03-02)

The 1980s science fiction series, Max Headroom, depicted a society "twenty minutes into the future" ruled by powerful television networks locked in ruthless competition for viewer eyeballs. Concerned by the growing trend towards channel surfing, the blipvert was developed as a rapid-fire subliminal advertisement which pumped its commercial messages directly into consumers' brains before they had a chance to change the channel.

"Listen.com Lands Last Big Five Label" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-940841.html
(07-01-02)

Taking a step ahead of any of the other competing music subscription services, Listen.com has won licenses to use music from all five of the major record labels.

"Lawmaker Tries To Foil Illegal File-Sharing" - WashingtonPost.com Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43256-2002Jun25.html
(06-25-02)

Copyright holders would receive carte blanche to use aggressive tactics to stop the illegal distribution of their works on online services like Morpheus and Kazaa under legislation outlined by Rep. Howard Berman.

"Music Industry Swamps Swap Networks with Phony Files" - SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3560365.htm
(06-27-02)

Major record labels have launched an aggressive new guerrilla assault on the underground music networks, flooding online swapping services with bogus copies of popular songs.

"Kiss Your MP3s at Work Goodbye" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-939791.html?tag=cd_mh
(06-27-02)

Companies increasingly are blocking access to Internet music and video at firewalls and are issuing sweeping initiatives that ban workplace media usage. The trend is a result of two developments: media usage hogging enormous amounts of corporate bandwidth and threats of legal liability as the entertainment industry aggressively pursues copyright scofflaws.

"Congress Unlikely to Vote on Tech-Related Bills" - InfoWorld Article
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/06/25/020625hnccia.xml?0626weam
(06-25-02)

Despite the fact that a number of technology-related legislative proposals are kicking around Congress, a pair of lawmakers expressed doubt that many of them will come to a vote before this session ends.

"The View From Hollywood" - WashingtonPost.com Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6410-2002Jun18.html?referer=email
(06-21-02)

The Motion Picture Association of America has put together a short but far-reaching shopping list of software and piracy issues that it would like to see addressed by the information-technology and consumer-electronics industries. The MPAA and its member studios say that these three issues must be addressed if they are going to feel confident about releasing Hollywood content on digital TV or via broadband services.

"Music Industry Settles Lawsuit With Audiogalaxy" - washingtonPost.com Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1412-2002Jun17.html?referer=email
(06-17-02)

File sharing service Audiogalaxy removed most of its music files for download Monday as part of an out-of-court settlement reached with the recording and music publishing industries. The agreement also calls for Audiogalaxy to pay the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association a "substantial sum based on Audiogalaxy's assets," RIAA and the NMPA said in a release.

"Net Music That's a Steal--but Not Stolen" - latimes.com Article
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-000041304jun12.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dtechnology
(06-12-02)

Acknowledging that online piracy is forcing dramatic changes in the music industry, the world's two largest record companies are poised to make it easy and cheap for fans to buy--rather than steal--songs off the Internet.

"How to Beat the Record Labels on the Web" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2010-1075-932414.html
(06-05-02)

Robert von Goeben, a venture capitalist who "has done time in the music industry," says tech entrepreneurs should give up the notion of making money off the distribution of music because the demise of Napster and the legal woes of Morpheus and Audiogalaxy show that record companies and music publishers closely guard the flow of content from the source – and thus the money. And record companies are "immensely profitable" and have "absolutely no inclination to change anything they are doing--ever." Von Goeben says he who controls the rights to recordings wins. "It's only after start-ups get into the game of signing artists that they will truly be able to control the destiny of downstream distribution," says von Goeben, a founding director of Redleaf Group, one of Silicon Valley's first Internet-only venture funds, and former head of online and Internet activities at Geffen Records.

"Digital TV's Big Hurdle: Copy Protection" - WashingtonPost.com Aritcle
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60770-2002Jun4.html
(06-05-02)

The consumer electronics industry and Hollywood are struggling to come up with an answer to the question of how to keep high-quality digital television broadcasts from being shared Napster-style on the Internet, but to judge from a report issued recently, there's still a long way to go.

"Hollywood Faces Recurring Net Nightmare" - c|net News Article
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=70&ncid=738&e=6&u=/cn/20020605/tc_cn/932743
(06-05-02)

A video-on-demand site that was shut down earlier this year with the help of Hollywood has seemingly sprouted a new head in Iran, underscoring vexing problems of Internet copyright enforcement for movie studios.

"Digital Rights Put to Test" - WashingtonPost.com Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56664-2002Jun4.html
(06-04-02)

Music and movie moguls crowded a Capitol Hill reception last month to toast the four-year-old Digital Millenium Copyright Act, the landmark law guarding copyrighted material from digital pirates. Jack Valenti, the snowy-haired chief of the Motion Picture Association of America, stepped to the microphone to laud congressional efforts on behalf of Hollywood. Hilary Rosen, president and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America and the sworn enemy of legions of Napster fans, beamed nearby. "If you can't protect anything you own," said Valenti, "you don't own anything."

"Industry Group Pushes New Anti-piracy Standard for Digital TV" - SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/3399916.htm
(06-04-02)

A powerful alliance of technology and entertainment companies agreed to a standard for encrypting digital television broadcasts in hopes of preventing the rampant copying of programs over the Internet. The new technology would block consumers from recording future digital broadcasts of popular shows -- such as ``The Tonight Show'' or ``The Osbournes'' -- unless they own recording devices with built-in copyright protection.

"Independents Getting Into Online Music" - Mercury News Article
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/3359413.htm
(05-29-02)

The Big Five record labels are finally getting some much needed competition in the emerging business of making music legally available online.

"Enforcing Laws in a Borderless Web" - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-927316.html?tag=fd_lede
(05-29-02)

Former Yahoo CEO Tim Koogle could find himself cuffed if he sets foot on French soil. His alleged crime: Allowing the posting of Nazi collectibles on Yahoo's U.S.-based site--an action Holocaust survivors say violates France's war crimes laws. In another case, Russian software programmer Dmitry Sklyarov was jailed after entering the United States last year. The charges related to providing software that could be used to crack e-books, an action that is not a crime in his homeland but that violates U.S. copyright law, federal authorities say. These are only two examples of companies and executives that do business online and are being dragged into foreign courts for selling products or posting materials that are legal in their own countries but that offend the sensibilities or violate the laws of another land. Such challenges increasingly include criminal charges.

"Supreme Court Swipes at Copycats" - c|net Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-923532.html
(05-28-02)

In a minor win for patent holders, the U.S. Supreme Court has cut back a ruling that some inventors worried would lead to widespread copycatting of their products.

“Label Tests MP3 in Song Sale” - c|net Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-921734.html
(05-23-02)

In what may be a first for the recording industry, Maverick Records and Vivendi Universal's online division are asking listeners to pay just under a dollar for an unprotected MP3 version of a new single.

“Music Swapping Firm to Fold Under Weight of Lawsuits” - SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3316962.htm
(05-22-02)

Kazaa, the company behind a popular file-swapping Web site, said it will fold because it cannot afford to defend itself against copyright infringement charges brought by the major studios and labels.

“Kazaa, Morpheus Legal Case Collapsing” - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-920557.html
(05-22-02)

A legal fight that has pitted file-swapping software companies Kazaa BV and StreamCast Networks against big record labels and movie studios is collapsing as the small companies run out of funds.

“The Fight for the Right to Copy” - LA Times Article
http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-000035204may19.story
(05-19-02)

If the Supreme Court reverses a copyright extension act, there could be significant implications for movies. In 1998, Congress passed the Sony Bono Act (sponsored by the late congressman), extending the copyright on everything from movies to literary and musical works from 75 to 95 years. The sweeping measure guaranteed, for another generation, that the creators and owners of 20th century works and their heirs would have exclusive control over their presentation and use.

"Napster's Wake" - Salon.com
http://salon.com/tech/feature/2002/05/17/napster_wake/index.html
(05-17-02)

The company that launched a thousand rips may be dead, but the movement it launched continues to thrive -- and to make a mockery of the music industry's pathetic online offerings.

"The DMCA Is the Toast of D.C." - Wired News Article
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,52602,00.html
(05-17-02)

Champagne was flowing freely in room B-340 of the Rayburn House office building on Thursday afternoon as scores of politicos gathered to toast a controversial copyright law. In between raised glasses of bubbly, some of Washington's most influential lobbyists and politicians sung the praises of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and said it had successfully limited piracy and promoted creativity.

"Making Copy Right for All" - Wired News Article
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,52556,00.html
(05-17-02)

Less than five years ago, Disney's copyright on Mickey Mouse was set to expire. But rather than let Mickey go free and enter the public domain, Disney campaigned with other Hollywood studios and major record labels to press Congress to pass the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA), a law that extended copyright protection for another 20 years. But recent copyright extension laws such as the CTEA are too restrictive, leaving fewer creative works in the public domain, critics say. That's why a group of legal scholars and Web publishers are launching a nonprofit intellectual property conservancy to help artists, writers, musicians and scientists share their intellectual works with the public on generous terms.

"The Day the Napster Died" - Wired News Article
http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,52540,00.html
(05-15-02)

Napster, the software application that ignited the music file-trading frenzy, came to an apparent end after its board of directors nixed a sale that would have kept the company afloat. When founder Shawn Fanning and CEO Konrad Hilbers abruptly resigned, the company that launched the most innovative Internet program was gone, just like that.

"Online Radio Heard in Congress" - WashingtonPost.com Article
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=70&ncid=738&e=6&u=/cn/ 20020515/tc_cn/online_radio_heard_in_congress
(05-15-02)

Independent Webcasters and the recording industry testified at a Senate hearing Wednesday over a proposed royalty rate for online radio, just days before a federal arbitration panel rules on a licensing regime for the new medium. The issue stems from a recommendation made by the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) that would require Webcasters to pay record companies 0.14 cents per listener per song and over-the-air broadcasters to pay 0.07 cents per song for streaming online.

"Jupiter Analyst, RIAA Trade Barbs Over P2P Findings" - WashingtonPost.com Article
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/176497.html
(05-09-02)

The industry group representing the five major music labels this week blasted a Jupiter Media Metrix report on peer-to-peer file sharing, issuing its own data to "refute" Jupiter's conclusion that Internet song-swapping, on balance, is good for the music industry.

"Hollywood's Way Out New distribution Platform is Solution for Copyright Theft" - San Fransico Article
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/beat/
(05-09-02)

If Hollywood is really serious about what it says -- that there can be no viable commercial art without strict copyright controls -- then all Hollywood has to do is introduce its own secure, copy-protected consumer-electronics devices as an alternative to existing computers, radios and TVs, which consumers would continue to use any way they see fit, including copying digital files.

"Hollywood Wants a Stranglehold on Your Digital Technology" - SiliconValley.com
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3218129.htm
(05-07-02)

Digital television is coming, which should be cause for celebration. High-definition digital TV will deliver fantastic picture and sound. But because digital TV broadcasts will be, well, digital, this also gives the Hollywood executives who lost their fight to ban the VCR in 1982 another opportunity to seize control over technological innovation, by claiming that digital television signals will allow ``pirates'' to napsterize every blockbuster that is aired on broadcast television.

“Music Industry is Finally Online, but There Aren't Many Listeners” - Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)
http://www.corante.com/internet/redir/5212.html
(05-06-02)

Reveals just how far the recording industry has to go in making its digital music ventures successful as customers stay away in droves from ventures like MusicNet and pressplay in favor of free file-sharing networks. "MusicNet's main owners - AOL Time Warner Inc., EMI Group PLC and Bertelsmann AG, along with fourth partner RealNetworks - created a service that lacked just about everything that makes online music downloads appealing," the Journal says. "It didn't allow consumers to keep downloaded songs permanently. It didn't allow them to transfer songs to portable devices or exchange them with friends who weren't signed up to the service. And it charged a monthly fee. Renegade Internet services allow all that and more, for no charge." An executive for Warner Music admits that "established businesses find it very difficult to embrace disruptive technologies that threaten them. The music industry is no different."

“Report: File Swapping Boosts Music Sales” – NewsFactor.com Article
http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17600.html
(05-06-02)

"It's very similar to the drug war in this country. For every one that gets knocked down, there will be another one that pops up." Peer-to-peer file sharing advocates received a boost in their ongoing battle against music industry executives, when Jupiter Media Metrix released a study indicating that Internet file-sharing traffic volume actually increases music sales.

“MP3 Viruses Could Play with Winamp” - c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-895429.html
(04-30-02)

A glitch with the popular Winamp software for playing digital music files could allow an attacker to embed malicious code into an MP3 file, potentially damaging the user's PC and infecting other MP3s.

“Russian CEO Defends Copying Rights” – c|net News Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-894171.html
(04-29-02)

Russian programmer Alexander Katalov has spent many months away from his family since last July, when his company found itself on the wrong side of the law as a defendant in the first major test case of the criminal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The Russian company faces charges that it offered technology that can be used to crack protections on Adobe Systems' e-books. ElcomSoft's software, which is no longer available, has placed the company squarely in the cross fire of the controversial DMCA, which prohibits distribution of technology that can circumvent copy protections.

“Hollywood vs. High-Tech” – Business 2.0 Newsletter Article
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,39428,FF.html
(04-18-02)

Disney's Michael Eisner and others say Hollywood will defend its intellectual property at all costs. Silicon Valley eminences like Andy Grove say those are fightin' words -- if it means trampling consumers' rights and squashing innovation.

“Microsoft Looks to Extend Digital Media Reach” – c|net Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-884588.html
(04-17-02)

Microsoft, seeking to become a vital player in the budding world of digital media, detailed on Tuesday a host of software products intended to ensure its influence over music and video.

“The Internet Sells Its Soul” – The Economist Article
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1085967
(04-16-02)

A new hard-nosed commercialism is spreading over the Internet. Users are increasingly being asked to pay for information and services, while advertising is becoming more intrusive. The backlash has already begun.

“Panel: Technology Isn’t the Holdup in VOD” – Hive4Media Article
http://www.hive4media.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2
(04-16-02)

The technology to provide video-on-demand is ready, but content provider structures and agreements on how to divide the spoils will delay widespread adoption for several years, a panel of entertainment delivery executives agreed.

“Open-Source MP3 Rival Goes Mobile” – ZDNet News Article
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-881957.html
(04-15-02)

The Ogg Vorbis project to create a fully open, license-free alternative to the MP3 format got a boost on Thursday with the release of the first Ogg player for a handheld device.

“Video-On-Demand In Focus” – Information Week Article
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020412S0021
(04-15-02)

Sun Microsystems made an undisclosed investment last week in Kasenna, a Mountain View, Calif., startup that makes broadband infrastructure software for video-on-demand and the streaming of high-quality video and audio over the Web.

“In Defense of Copyright: A Top Intellectual Property Lawyer Argues that the Supreme Court's Decision to Review the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act is Plain Wrong” – Salon.com Article
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/04/15/copyright_defense/index.html
(04-15-02)

Morton David Goldberg's name is hardly a household word for technology geeks worried about the corporate drive to take ownership of intellectual property to unprecedented heights. Goldberg has become the unofficial point man for a movement within the American Bar Association to defend the controversial Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act. Even before Bill Clinton signed the 1998 law -- which extended the terms of copyright by 20 years -- critics complained that it would harm the public by retroactively taking information from the public domain and putting it back under the control of copyright holders. A pair of online publishers later filed suit against the government, asking that the law be struck down. On Feb. 19, the Supreme Court surprised nearly everyone involved by agreeing to hear the case.

“Face the Music: Suits Pending Over Copy Controls” – PC World Article
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,93904,00.asp
(04-11-02)

Class action suits may spring from consumer complaints of surreptitious CD copy protection. Copy-protected CDs are the Dick Cheney of the music industry: People know they exist, but music labels say little about their whereabouts. But they may soon be outed. Attorneys from the Pennsylvania law firm Feldman & Rifkin and the California law firm Kaplan, Fox & Kilsheimer are collecting complaints from angry music fans who believe the music CDs they bought are copy-protected without adequate labeling.

“BBC Exec Expects iTV Boom” – The Hollywood Reporter Article
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/convergence/ article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1461063
(04-10-02)

“The whole media and technology world is in complete turmoil." That's the bad news from BBC Technology chief executive Philip Langsdale. The good news, however, is that the global market for media technology will expand threefold to $30 billion by 2007, he said.

“Labels Settle At-Work Song-Share Dispute” – c|net Article
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-879308.html
(04-09-02)

In an unprecedented crackdown on an internal corporate network, the recording industry said Tuesday that it has settled with an Arizona company that allegedly let employees trade copyrighted MP3 files over a dedicated server.

“Andreessen: Copy Protection Efforts are Doomed” – SiliconValley.com Article
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3031836.htm
(04-09-02)

Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen told the nation's broadcasters that efforts to copy protect music, movies or television shows are destined to fail. As film studios and recording studios urge Congress to extend copy protection to every home entertainment device, Andreessen said the entertainment industry need look no further than the software industry's own expensive, failed attempts at encryption to realize it is ineffective at stopping piracy.

“Copy Control Law Draws Online Outcry” – PCWorld Article
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,93544,00.asp
(04-09-02)

Consumers deluge Senate Web site with complaints about proposal to build copy protection into all digital devices. Hundreds of worried consumers have heaped the Senate Judiciary Committee's Web site with disapproval of a pending digital copyright protection bill. The measure, introduced in late March by Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, would require vendors of most digital devices to build in technological measures that prevent copying of copyrighted material.

“Proposed Copyright Law Raises Controversy: Copyright’s Next Chapter - Latest Legislation Tries to Control the Technology Itself” – San Fransisco Gate Article
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/04/08/ BU140716.DTL
(04-08-02)

Throughout history, new technologies -- from the Gutenberg printing press to Napster -- have posed a threat to the owners and creators of music, movies, books and other artistic works. Those publishers, writers, artists and other owners of copyrighted work have always responded with lawsuits and calls for stronger laws. Through time, congressional action and judicial decisions have shaped and reshaped copyright law. Now a bill introduced last month in Congress, which attempts to protect copyrights in the age of CD burners and online file sharing, could break significant new ground.


Press Releases

“Corbis Opens New Film Preservation Center that Rescues and Preserves Access to America's Most Famous Images” - Corbis Press Release
http://www.corbis.com/corporate/press/default.asp
(04-29-02)

Who knew that one day Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein might reside side-by-side -- today, and a thousand years from now? Corbis, a global leader in digital photography and imagery, today announced the opening of a state-of-the-art, cold storage film preservation facility in western Pennsylvania to house the world-renowned Bettmann Archive. The archive includes 11 million pictures, photographs, illustrations and memories that capture moments in history and feature cultural icons such as Rosa Parks, the Kennedys, the Beatles and Marilyn Monroe.

“Sonic Foundry Continues its Drive into the Enterprise with Online Rich Media Presentation System” – Sonic Foundry Press Release
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/news/ShowRelease.asp?ReleaseID=434&CatID=
(04-23-02)

Sonic Foundry Inc., a leading software and services provider of rich media content creation and management technologies, announced the enterprise version of its rich media online presentation system, MediaSite Live 2.0. The new system is the first comprehensive solution that allows customers to readily capture, stream, deliver and archive synchronized audio, video and other multimedia presentation collateral without expensive media production equipment and with unprecedented flexibility, convenience and speed.

“Atsana and OmniVision Jointly Develop Reference Design for Video Enabled Wireless Devices” – Atsana Semiconductor Press Release
http://www.atsana.com/News_and_Events/viewnewsrelease.php?NewsRelease ID=22
(04-22-02)

Atsana Semiconductor Corp., a leader in the development of power-efficient, programmable processors for multimedia wireless devices, and OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a market-leading independent supplier of CameraChip solutions for high-volume imaging applications, today announced they are jointly developing a mobile multimedia reference design to improve the performance of mobile video and imaging devices such as wireless cameras and video-enabled wireless phones.

“Atsana Unveils Fully Programmable Array Processor that Overcomes Key Obstacles to Using Emerging Multimedia Wireless Applications” – Atsana Press Release
http://www.atsana.com/News_and_Events/viewnewsrelease.php?NewsRelease ID=21
(04-22-02)

Atsana Semiconductor Corp., a leader in the development of power-efficient, programmable processors for multimedia wireless devices, unveiled a breakthrough processing architecture that promises to help increase revenue for multimedia wireless device manufacturers, and provide consumers with greater access to a broad range of emerging multimedia wireless applications. Atsana will deliver a low-cost, low-power media processor that incorporates this unique, massively-parallel array processing technology by third quarter 2002.

“Pilot Video Personalizes the Net: The Next Step for Video Streaming” – Pilot Video Press Release
http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=1202
(04-15-02)

Pilot Video has been working at the forefront of the new video streaming technologies, creating integrated "videolized" interfaces and navigation systems. Personal interaction between the user and the web browser creates a revolutionary multimedia experience. No longer do web users need to wade through paragraphs of text to find their area of interest or wait for a long video to download. They can listen to a friendly host, then go right to the media they're seeking.

“Intellectual Property In The New Economy - Balancing Private Rights And Public Policy” - Licensing Executives Society Press Release
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/020415/040724.html
(04-15-02)

From stem cells and prescription drugs to computer software and online media, many of today's most important technological advances are based on intellectual property. What federal policies govern these emerging technologies? What is the government's role in facilitating innovation while protecting individual property owners' rights? These are just some the issues that leaders in the health care, biotechnology, electronics and the legal communities will address at the Licensing Executives Society Spring Meeting, Shaping Intellectual Property Policies, May 2-4, 2002 in Washington, DC.

“On2’s MPEG-4 Position Paper” – On2 Press Release
http://www.on2.com/news_position_paper.php3
(04-12-02)

Operating under the auspices of the MPEG-2 Approval, since 1997 MPEG-2 has obtained at least a 95% market share in the digital television video compression market. Fast forward to 2002, and a new group of companies (consisting of many of the MPEG-2 patent holders as well as some new patent holders) is attempting to pool patents for a new video compression technology called MPEG-43. This group of companies is using the same licensing agent (MPEG LA) as the MPEG-2 group. MPEG-4 is aiming to be the international standard for interactive video compression in three fields: digital television, interactive graphics applications, and interactive multimedia, i.e. the World Wide Web. For MPEG-4 to become such a standard, MPEG LA will need approval by the Department of Justice of its new patent pool. There are two critical questions: (1) Does the 1997 MPEG-2 patent pool approval currently cover the new MPEG-4 patent pool? and (2) Should the 1997 MPEG-2 Approval cover the MPEG-4 Patent Pool?

“NAB 2002 was a Good Show for MPEG-4” – M4IF Press Release
http://www.m4if.org/exhibitions/NAB.php
(04-12-02)

This site lists many of the vendors, participants and relevant links from the NAB 2002 Conference.

“On2’s Open Source Personal Video Recorder Technology, VPVision, Now Available to Open Source Community” – On2 Press Release
http://www.on2.com/pressreleases.php3?qs1=open_source_vpvision
(04-10-02)

On2 Technologies, Inc., The Duck Corporation, an industry leader in compression technology, announced today that VPVision, the company’s digital video recording software, which can be used to power Personal Video Recorders, is in beta release. VPVision is available for free download at www.on2.com/vpvision/ with a free source code license to be made available soon.

“QUALCOMM’s MSM6100 3G CDMA2000 1X Solution Features Industry-Leading Integration of Advanced Multimedia Technologies” – QUALCOMM Press Release
http://www.qualcomm.com/press/pr/releases2002/press1014.html
(04-10-02)

QUALCOMM Incorporated announced details about the MSM6100 Mobile Station Modem solution. The third-generation CDMA2000 1X MSM6100 chipset and system software features radioOne Zero Intermediate Frequency (ZIF) architecture and the ARM926EJ-S core, which incorporates a low-power, high-performance 32-bit RISC microprocessor and includes the ARMJazelle technology for Java acceleration.

“e.Digital Corporation And DivXNetworks Form Strategic Partnership To Design And Develop DivX Video Devices” – DivXNetworks Press Release
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/020409/040443.html
(04-09-02)

e.Digital Corporation, a global provider of comprehensive digital product development and designs, and DivXNetworks, Inc., the company that created the revolutionary patent-pending DivX MPEG-4 compatible video compression technology, today announced a strategic partnership to jointly develop and market a range of consumer electronics devices that play back DivX video.

“Cloud Systems Teams with iVast to Provide MPEG-4 Digital Content Production Services” – iVast Press Release
http://www.ivast.com/news/040802cloudsystems.html
(04-09-02)

iVAST, Inc., a leading provider of end-to-end MPEG-4 solutions, announced that Cloud Systems, a digital media production company, will utilize the iVAST MPEG-4 Platform to power its full-service media encoding and digital media development services.

“On2 Chalenges Existence Of MPEG-4 Patent Pool” – On2 Press Release
http://www.on2.com/pressreleases.php3?qs1=on2_chalenges_existence_of_ mpeg4
(04-09-02)

In a position paper sent to the U.S. Justice Department, the 50 State Attorneys General and selected Congressional House and Senate committees, On2 Technologies, The Duck Corporation has challenged the right of MPEG-4 to exist as a legitimate patent pool. On2 claims in the paper that the MPEG-2 Justice Department approval for patent pooling does not and should not extend to MPEG-4.

“On2’s VP4 Video Compression Technology Certified By RealNetworks” – On2 Press Release
http://www.on2.com/pressreleases.php3?qs1=vp4_certified_by_realnetworks
(04-08-02)

On2 Technologies Inc., The Duck Corporation, an industry leader in compression technology, today announced that VP4 had successfully completed RealNetworks’ AutoUpdate certification.

“Volera Joins Internet Streaming Media Alliance to Advance Open Standards” – Volera Press Release
http://www.volera.com/corporate/pressroom/press/releases/020408.html
(04-08-02)

Volera Inc., a leading provider of intelligent content networking software solutions and a subsidiary of Novell, Inc., announced it has joined the Internet Streaming Media Alliance. Volera, along with other industry leaders in the area of streaming media, will help support ISMA's charter to promote an open-standards approach to streaming media.

“Sarnoff MPEG-4 Video Encoder Now Available On Equator BSP-15 Platform” – Equator Press Release
http://www.equator.com/press/articleInt.php?id=192
(04-08-02)

Equator Technologies Inc., a leading provider of video streaming and processing engines and platforms, and Sarnoff Corp., a pioneer in semiconductors and digital video, announced the availability of Sarnoff's MPEG-4 video encoder on Equator's BSP-15 platform for use in digital video consumer products such as personal video recorders, interactive set-top boxes, DVD recorders, and portable video-communications devices. The two companies have formed a preferred strategic partnership to promote the combined technology.

“iVast Unveils Complete MPEG-4 Platform for Creation, Delivery and Presentation of Digital Media” – iVast Press Release
http://www.ivast.com/news/040802ivastplatform.html
(04-08-02)

iVAST, Inc. unveiled its latest product line, based on the MPEG-4 international standard. The iVAST MPEG-4 Platform includes software to support the creation, distribution and presentation of high-quality digital audio and video, enabling the production of compelling interactive media experiences. Additionally, it provides end-to-end solutions for broadband Internet, broadcast and interactive television, enterprise streaming and packaged media. iVAST's software solutions have been designed to support high-performance, large-scale digital media systems, with an open, standards-based architecture allowing cost-effective integration with existing business systems.

“Sorenson Announces Availability of MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile Video Codec” – Sorenson Media Press Release
http://www.sorenson.com/content.php?pageID=35&id=19&nav=7
(04-08-02)

Sorenson Media, a leading provider of high-quality video compression software and delivery services, announced the preview availability of the Sorenson MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile video codec. The new version, built on the foundation of the MPEG-4 standard, brings new levels of video quality for Internet, Intranet, and embedded applications.

“Sorenson Vcast is Now More Scalable and Secure Than Ever, Offering Enterprise-Class Media Delivery Services That Support All Formats and Data Types” – Sorenson Media Press Release
http://www.sorenson.com/content.php?pageID=35&id=18&nav=7
(04-08-02)

Sorenson Media, a leading provider of high-quality video compression software and delivery services, announced the availability of a vastly enhanced version of Sorenson Vcast, a live and on-demand media Webcasting service. The new version, built on the foundation of an industrial strength LDAP directory, brings new levels of security, scalability, and manageability for the delivery of all media formats and data types to viewing and listening audiences anywhere in the world.

“InterTrust Announces Availability of DRM-enabled Digital Video Delivery Product Suite for the Sun Platform” - InterTrust Technologies Corporation Press Release
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020408/nym049_1.html
(04-08-02)

InterTrust Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of patented trusted computing and digital rights management technology announced IVA -- the InterTrust Video Architecture for the Sun platform, an integrated end-to-end technology suite for IP-based digital media distribution applications. Service providers and network operators in vertical industries such as Digital TV, seeking to deploy video-on-demand (VOD) and interactive television applications will benefit from this comprehensive one-stop solution. IVA leverages the relationship between two leading technology providers, and empowers media service providers to deliver DRM-based content to a variety of next generation clients including set top boxes, personal video recorders (PVRs), PCs and mobile communicators.

“Seven Major Technology Leaders Create New Company to Deliver MPEG-4 Based Entertainment System and Services to the US Cable Industry” – Sharp Press Release
http://www.sharp-usa.com/about/AboutPressRelease/0,1130,C245,00.html
(03-27-02)

Seven leading consumer electronics and technology companies today announced the formation of a new corporation in Japan, e-BOX, that will enable cable television system operators to deliver enhanced video on demand and interactive TV services to subscribers. Based in Tokyo, the joint venture includes five publicly traded companies: Pioneer Corporation, Sharp Corporation, National Semiconductor Corporation, Sigma Designs, and CMC Magnetics; and two privately held companies, iVAST, Inc. and Modern VideoFilm Inc.

“Internet Streaming Media Alliance Expresses Support for MPEG-4 AAC Licensing Terms” – Internet Streaming Media Alliance Press Release
http://ism-alliance.tv/html/resources/pr.shtml?PR1005.txt
(03.26.02)

The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) announcement of its enthusiastic support for the MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) licensing models recently introduced by Dolby Laboratories.

Dolby Laboratories Announces MPEG-4 AAC Licensing Program - AAC Press Release
http://www.aac-audio.com/press/aac_pr_0203_MPEG4.html
(03.26.02)

In this article, Dolby Laboratories announced the launch of a newly expanded MPEG-4 AAC licensing program. This licensing program is “specifically geared toward MPEG-4 applications, which include Internet streaming, electronic media distribution (EMD), multimedia playback, and wireless applications.”

Apple Previews QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4 - Apple Press Release
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/feb/12qt6.html
(02.12.02)

This link is the official announcement of Apple’s release of QuickTime 6, featuring full support for MPEG-4. QuickTime 6, along with QuickTime Streaming Server 4 and QuickTime Broadcaster, enables the first complete MPEG-4 based streaming media solution. QuickTime Streaming Server 4 is available as a free download at www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qtss.

Terms of MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License Announced - MPEG LA Press Release
http://www.mpegla.com/news_release31Jan2002.html
(01.31.02)

Original news release of proposed terms of MPEG-4 licensing that touched off the controversy.

"Joint Licensing of MPEG-4 Audio Patents" - M4IF Press Release
http://www.m4if.org/patents/AudioPatentPressRelease.html
(03.02.01)

Press release detailing the plan designed to “provide fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory worldwide access under one license to patents that are essential for implementing the international MPEG-4 audio standard”.

"Joint Licensing of Essential MPEG-4 Patents" - M4IF Press Release
http://www.m4if.org/public/amsterdam/MPEGLAPressRelease.html
(03.25.00)

Press release detailing the plan designed to “provide fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory worldwide access under one license to patents that are essential for implementing the international MPEG-4 visual standard”.

Developers

Amphion
www.amphion.com

Effectively developing key accelerators blocks for a vast range of application areas, from imaging through voice compression to channel coding. Thus, our MPEG-4 products are based on a methodology of accelerating the key
cycle consuming parts but sustaining the control elements in their rightful place of an embedded RISC/DSP or whatever suits our end customers.

AVIPIX – Multimedia Technology Solution Provider
http://www.avipix.com/

AVIPIX is a multimedia technology solutions provider for multimedia playback, authoring, delivery and streaming based on a core set of MPEG-4 compliant technologies. MPEG-4 products include: file format libraries, streaming client/peer-to-peer tools, video encoder/decoder tools, and authoring tools.

CenterSpan Communications
http://www.centerspan.com/

CenterSpan Communications provides next-generation, secure Content Delivery Network services to media and communications service providers and the enterprise. CenterSpan provides total solutions that increase ROI, speed time-to-market and improve the end-user experience. CenterSpan is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and maintains offices for its Digital Media and Entertainment Group in Los Angeles.

COMIQS – Commerce through MPEG4 on the Internet with Quality of Services
http://www.cordis.lu/infowin/acts/analysys/products/thematic/mpeg4/comiqs/ comiqs.htm

The main objective of COMIQS is the technical and service validation of a set of new paradigms introduced by recent and on-going innovations in ISO/MPEG-4/VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) and the Internet IETF.

Computer Graphics Lab Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
http://ligwww.epfl.ch/~babski/StandardBody/mpeg4/

This site released the MPEG4 Player for HANIM 1.1 Compliant VRML Body (Java release). It is based on a MPEG4 Java package which is able to read a MPEG4 ASCII BAP (Body Animation Parameters) file from a local drive or from the web. This is a beta version in order to show that the connection MPEG4-HANIM 1.1 is working on the web.

Comverse – Multimedia Messaging Center
http://63.64.185.12/featured_item/index_multimedia.htm

Comverse Multimedia Messaging Center (MMC) allows operators to offer their mobile users a full array of multimedia messaging includes: text, pictures and images and, soon to follow, high quality audio and video for Mobile-to-Mobile and mobile-to/from-Web messaging. Comverse's MMSC service works over 2.5G and 3G networks, and provides support of existing and future handsets and PDAs.

ENST – MPEG-4 Tools
http://www.comelec.enst.fr/~dufourd/mpeg-4/tools.html

This site provides numerous MPEG-4 tools and utilities with which to create, modify and display MPEG-4 files.

Envivio – MPEG-4 Streaming and Broadcast Solutions
http://www.envivio.com/

Envivio develops MPEG-4 streaming solutions specifically designed to solve both technology and business issues for the broadcast, cable network, and content developer markets. MPEG-4 products include EnvivioTV, the first fully ISO MPEG-4 compliant player; EnvivioTV can be downloaded at http://www.envivio.com/solutions/etv/login.jsp.

e-Vue – Standards-Based Secure Streaming Solutions
http://www.e-vue.com/

e-Vue offers a comprehensive suite of MPEG-4 compliant encoding and authoring tools, server technology, and players that enable the fast and efficient creation, transmission and viewing of high-quality, interactive multimedia. MPEG-4 products include: Image Studio, Image Tools for PhotoShop, and Image Viewer. You can view demos of e-Vue’s MPEG-4 still images at http://www.e-vue.com/demos/demos.cfm.

Hantro – Mobile Multimedia Company
http://www.hantro.com

Hantro creates leading edge technology that enables the mobile information society to leverage the power and value of wireless video. Hantro's product portfolio includes video applications for video capturing, play-back, messaging, streaming, and telephony.

iVAST
http://www.ivast.com

iVAST, Inc. is a leading developer of digital media creation and delivery software, based on MPEG-4. The iVAST software platform enables interactive and enhanced rich media experiences, improved content distribution, and targeted branding and advertising opportunities to a wide range of end-user devices including PCs and consumer electronic devices such as set-top boxes.

Kasenna
http://www.kasenna.com

Kasenna is a software technology company building a standards-based video delivery platform for acquiring, managing, distributing and delivering audio and video content over IP and HFC networks. Kasenna has a rich history, expertise and patent-portfolio in broadband video delivery, having pioneered one of the industry's first ever video-on-demand systems. Kasenna's award-winning MediaBase product suite runs on industry-standard platforms and allows its enterprise, broadcast, telecommunications and iTV customers to deploy scalable and cost-effective video-on-demand systems.

MPEG4IP: Open Source, Open Standards, Open Streaming
http://mpeg4ip.sourceforge.net/

MPEG4IP provides an end-to-end system to explore MPEG-4 multimedia. This site offers a package which includes many existing open source packages and the "glue" to integrate them together. Provided are an MPEG-4 AAC audio encoder, an MP3 encoder, two MPEG-4 video encoders, an MP4 file creator and hinter, an IETF standards-based streaming server, and an MPEG-4 player that can both stream and playback from local file.

Nexcode
http://www.nexcode.tv/

Nexcode's state-of-the-art technology permits video to be broadcast online at 24-30 frames per second, without cumbersome downloading and buffering like other popular technologies such as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Player, Apple Computer Inc.'s Quick Time or RealNetworks Inc.'s Real Player. This means that consumers will now be able to broadcast videos, commercials and movie trailers to online viewers at speeds that are up to 100 times faster than before.

nCUBE
http://www.ncube.com

nCUBE Corporation is a leading provider of on-demand media and digital advertising solutions. The company offers cable operators and telecommunications network providers the most comprehensive business and technology management solutions for advanced television services such as video-on-demand, subscription, network personal video recording and digital advertising insertion.

On2
http://www.on2.com/

With On2's VP4 Codec, broadcast quality video (DVD) can now be compressed down to one megabit per second (.12 megabytes) or less. To register for VP4 for Real beta testing, visit http://www.on2.com/vp4real/.

PacketVideo
http://www.packetvideo.com

PacketVideo is a provider of carrier class infrastructure software that enables mobilemedia today. PacketVideo’s standards-based software products enable the distribution of one- and two-way video, high-quality audio, animation and rich graphics over wireless networks to mobile devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants. PacketVideo’s mobilemedia products enhance communication, productivity, security, information and entertainment, enabling the delivery of an enriching and productive mobile experience.

Phillips Digital Networks
http://www.digitalnetworks.philips.com

WebCine is the industry' first complete suite of ISO-Standard MPEG-4 products for Internet and IP network delivery. A content author creates ISO-Standard MPEG-4 files or streams from professional or consumer audio and video signals using the WebCine Encoder. The WebCine Encoder can directly broadcast MPEG-4 streams to clients on multicast-connected networks, while the WebCine Server can stream requested MPEG-4 content to hundreds of simultaneous users. Users may download the free WebCine Player at http://www.digitalnetworks.philips.com/InformationCenter/Global/FArticle Detail.asp?lArticleId=1816&lNodeId=582&channel=582&channelId= N582A1816

Pilot Video
http://www.pilotvideo.com

Pilot Video offers expertise in video and film production, multimedia, and visual effects. They develop creative strategies to maximize clients' resources from concept through completion.

PoGo! Products
http://www.pogoproducts.com/

Flipster, the first dedicated portable multimedia player that supports a variety of multimedia formats. Smaller than a deck of cards, Flipster allows users to enjoy watching full motion videos (MPEG-4) on its full color LCD display, store and listen to MP3 audio, view high-resolution still images, record and listen to voice memos and live recordings, as well as play games.

ProjectMayo – Home of OpenDivX
http://www.projectmayo.com/index.php

Pocket DivX Player is a free Open Source multifunction video and audio player for the PocketPC platform that can play DivX, OpenDivX, MPEG-4, MPEG-1 videos and MP3 audio. The latest version can be download at http://www.projectmayo.com/projects/detail.php?projectId=9.

PsyTEL Research – Multimedia Coding Solutions
http://www.psytel-research.co.yu/

PsyTEL Research is a provider of advanced MPEG audiovisual coding technologies and services. Their audio and video coding solutions provide great quality with excellent performance. They can license binary (library) code or source (know-how) code, or develop custom turnkey solutions based on audio and video coding algorithms.

Real Networks – Real Broadcast Network (RBN) Managed Subscription Service
http://www.realnetworks.com/solutions/media/subscription.html

Are you interested in building an online revenue model, as well as building direct relationships with your consumers? Not sure you’re able to manage a complex Internet commerce solution on your own? Now there is an end-to-end solution from RBN designed for entertainment and news organizations to easily charge for consumer access to their online media assets including subscriptions and one-time payments. RBN has removed the barriers of entry to selling content on the Internet through RBN Managed Subscription Service.

Sonic Foundry
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/

Sonic Foundry develops sophisticated technology for creating, editing, managing, delivering and accessing rich media. From production through publishing, our products and services provide integrated solutions for enterprise-wide applications across a wide spectrum of professional industries.
 

WinRecorder – Artech 365
http://www.winrecorder.com/

This site provides a download of a real-time MPEG4 Video Capture/Recorder which allows one to produce AVI/WMV Files, optimized by MMX assemble code. A useful mixer and playlist are also included.
 

General Information

Advanced Audio Coding (AAC)
http://www.aac-audio.com/

This website provides up-to-date information about AAC technology, applications, products, and industry developments.

MPEG Audio FAQ
http://www.tnt.uni-hannover.de/project/mpeg/audio/faq/mpeg4.html

This page offers a comprehensive FAQ regarding MPEG audio technology and standards.

MPEG-4 Audio Web Page
http://www.tnt.uni-hannover.de/project/mpeg/audio/#web

This site provides links to all things MPEG audio, including information about audio in all the MPEG standards, FAQs about MPEG audio and other related links.

MPEG-4 Structured Audio (MP4 Structured Audio)
http://sound.media.mit.edu/mpeg4/

This site provides a starting point for those individuals who are interested in researching the MPEG-4 Structured Audio standard.

MPEG-4 Users Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.m4if.org/resources/mpeg4userfaq.php

This FAQ was developed to help answer questions about MPEG-4.

MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License Briefing
http://www.m4if.org/patents/licsum070202.zip

This PPT presentation was given in response to growing criticism of the proposed licensing terms for MPEG-4 technology. It provides an update of the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License proposal. It includes details regarding the proposed annual caps, royalty disbursements, and charge per hour rates for the different MPEG-4 product categories.

The Patent List
http://www.mpegla.com/mpeg4/m4patentlist.html

This link provides a preliminary list of patent holders to the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License. In order to be included in the list, the patent must be reviewed and approved by independent patent experts.

SAOL.net – Structured Audio Orchestra Language Online
http://www.saol.net/

SAOL.net is about the "Structured Audio Orchestra language" (SAOL), which is a part of the new upcoming MPEG-4 standard. Structured Audio describes a set of tools that will be the next standard for "…computer music, audio for gaming, streaming Internet music/sound, and other multimedia applications".

Organizations and Working Groups

Internet Media Streaming Alliance
http://isma.tv/index.html

The Internet Media Streaming Alliance is an organization of industry players who seek to “provide a forum for the creation of specifications that define an interoperable implementation for streaming rich media over IP networks … and accelerate the adoption of open standards for streaming rich media - video, audio, and associated data - over the Internet.”

Moving Picture Experts Group
http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/

Established in 1988, MPEG is a working group of the ISO/IEC and is in charge of the development of standards for coded representation of digital audio and video.

MPEG-4 Industry Forum
http://www.m4if.org/

The objective of the MPEG-4 Industry Forum is "to further the adoption of the MPEG-4 Standard, by establishing MPEG-4 as an accepted and widely used standard among application developers, service providers, content creators and end users." This site provides discussion lists, news and events, and a comprehensive list of MPEG-4 resources and links.

ViDe MPEG-4 Working Group
http://www.vide.net/workgroups/mpeg4/index.shtml

Higher education working group that investigates the status of the MPEG4 standard and technology development, tests and evaluates early technologies, creates content in MPEG4, and pursues possible development partnerships with industry.

Web3D-MPEG Working Group
http://www.web3d.org/WorkingGroups/web3d-mpeg/

The Web3D-MPEG Working Group is a Web3D Consortium Working Group established specifically to advance the ongoing convergence of Web3D and MPEG standards. This site provides related links, discussion groups and other reference information regarding the integration of 3D and MPEG-4 technology.