Google's patent license for VP8 [was: Google WebM?]

Chris Travers chris at metatrontech.com
Thu May 20 20:36:44 UTC 2010


Hmmmm....

On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 12:53 PM, Lawrence Rosen <lrosen at rosenlaw.com> wrote:

> How do you read this limited patent license in combination with a generous
> BSD license? Is this a subtly phrased requirement to conform to the VP8
> specification or to use only Google's code, or just a drafting ambiguity in
> an open source patent and copyright license? I wish to believe the latter.

Even if it's a drafting ambiguity (as I would assume it is), wouldn't
that make modification unsafe?  I mean, if behavior of the software
which is covered by a patent changes, wouldn't that mean that the
infringement might arguably be one not necessarily violated by the
original version?  ISTM that this is an unpleasant section to parse if
one doesn't want to have to go to court.....

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers



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