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In many cases it was patent issues -- putting the codecs in the OS could significantly increase it's cost. I'm at least 15 years out of date, so this may be a
by CJefferson 5y ago
In many cases it was patent issues -- putting the codecs in the OS could significantly increase it's cost.
I'm at least 15 years out of date, so this may be a much less serious issue nowadays (although also codec issues seem less serious, windows will just open most formats I try).
- cm2187 5y agoWell, how do ffmpeg and vlc go around that problem then? Most players will not even touch an mkv file, whatever the codec.
- soapdog 5y agoBecause there is no money in suing either projects. If a large company such as Apple ships all these codecs, patent holders will flock to try a quick cash grab. These litigations are time and money consuming.
- prmoustache 5y agoThey don't sue because they can't sue. Software patents aren't valid in europe.
- soapdog 5y agoThey can sue in the U.S.
- jasode 5y ago>, how do ffmpeg and vlc go around that problem then? The ffmpeg project does not distribute binaries with unlicensed or illegal code. E.g. if you want ffmpeg to use libdvdcss for decrypting DVDs or use libfdk-aac to encode aac/m4a without paying license royalties to Fraunhofer, the end user has to download those components and build a custom ffmpeg on their own. No legitimate website will host ffmpeg built with the "illegal/unlicensed" libraries. E.g. When the popular Zeranoe website hosted ffmpeg executables for download, it was only built with the free GNU components. The vlc project says they can include libdvdcss because they are a French company instead of American. E.g. Microsoft removes DVD playback from Windows 8 but VLC does not: https://www.zdnet.com/article/if-vlc-can-ship-a-free-dvd-player-why-cant-microsoft/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/if-vlc-can-ship-a-free-dvd-pla...
- prmoustache 5y agosoftware patents are a USA thing only.