The MPEG Licensing Authority (MPEG LA) announced yesterday that it would extend the royalty-free period for use of H.264 for free streaming video through 2015.
This is just the latest punch in the fight for online video codec ubiquity. Last month both YouTube and Vimeo posted beta tests of their HTML5/h.264 offerings.
Last week Steve Jobs flaunted his Flash-less device around the Yorba Linda stage. Blue lego after blue lego paraded across the shiny iPad screen, as Apple took another not-so-subtle shot across the bow of their ex-BFF; Adobe.
There are over 30-million Flash-free iPhones around the world. Even with a few million more high profile Apple devices about to hit the street, the rumors of impending death to Flash are greatly exaggerated.
The extension of free h.264 licensing did not impress the open source community. John Lilly, CEO of Mozilla, tweeted this prophetic warning regarding the announcement; “It’s good they did it, but they sort of had to. But it’s like 5 more years of free to lock you in 4ever.”
This should be an interesting year for fans of video streaming codec legalities (all 12 of you.)