[Linux-aus] Fwd: Ogg Vorbis and Theora removed from HTML5

[Mike Lampard]

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:17:11 pm Janet Hawtin wrote:
> via LINK
>
> In move that can only be described as a FUD-driven attempt by Apple
> and other proprietary codec holders or supporters, the W3 has so far
> bowed to pressure to remove Ogg/Vorbis and Theora from the emerging
> HTML-5 specification.
>
> More here:
>
> http://rudd-o.com/archives/2007/12/11/removal-of-ogg-vorbis-and-theora-from
>-html5-an-outrageous-disaster/
>
> or
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yp5zm6
>
>     "Update: the discussion at the WHATWG list is centering around
>      the fact that Microsoft, Nokia and Apple disagree on having Ogg
>      technology mentioned on the spec, due (I loosely quote them) to
>      the potential threat that submarine patents may pose. My personal
>      opinion is that you don't get any freer than Ogg, and there is no
>      such patent threat because major hardware and software players
>      (gaming companies and America Online / Winamp, for example) have
>      already shipped at least Ogg Vorbis technology in the past. Until
>      this conundrum is resolved, they're taking Ogg technology off the
>      table because they don't want to implement it in their browsers."
>
> This strikes me as exceedingly self-serving on the part of the proprietary
> players, since the very reasons (FUD) they give apply to themselves, i.e.
> Quicktime (Sorenson) codecs used by Apple and the WMV formats used by
> Microsoft are encumbered by patents.

Those two players in particular have in the past shown themselves incapable of 
escaping the 'exclusivity mindset', believing that interoperability is 
detrimental to profit.  Whilst not surprsing that they have pushed for this 
outcome, it's most unfortunate that the W3 appear to have succumbed to this 
pressure.  

Perhaps W3 are operating on the assumption that 'a bird in the hand is worth 
two in the bush'?  I don't doubt they believe it better to have two of the 
major commercial players using their next standard, than continuing off on 
their own tangents.  That won't stop MS and co. corrupting that standard 
until it's barely recognisable, as they've done previously, but the W3 can 
claim they tried..

A sad state of affairs, and a sad day for end-users if Ogg continues to be 
kept out in the cold.

Mike