That's what (software) patents are for (and video codecs are a heavily patent-encumbered field) - slowing down progress because of patent minefields you have to

That's what (software) patents are for (and video codecs are a heavily patent-encumbered field) - slowing down progress because of patent minefields you have to pay attention to when implementing a codec. It can easily happen that you missed a patent or can't circumvent it - then you have to pay protection money... A perfect ground for innovation...