MP3 decoding no longer free :(

[Mictlantecuhtli]

From /.:
Posted by chrisd on Tuesday August 27, @03:27PM

Götz writes: The licensing terms of Thomson and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, who are the owners of the mp3 patents, have changed. Now not only mp3 encoders but also mp3 decoders require a license. This page lists the fees -- it's $0.75 per decoder. As a consequence, Red Hat has already removed all mp3 players from the Rawhide development version.

Check the prices from http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/software.html

I've used Ogg Vorbis for months now, I recommend it to you too.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Somehow I keep thinking RIAA is behind this too..

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by Mictlantecuhtli
Somehow I keep thinking RIAA is behind this too..

I completely agree. It seems like there is no one that the RIAA cannot yet to.

Somehow, although I may be wrong, I can't see this preventing the explosion of music trading on the net. I personally believe that nothing can.

 

[Didou]

We might get to see THIS more often then.

I have the RIAA to thank for killing my favourite online radio -> http://www.somafm.com

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by Didou
We might get to see THIS more often then.

I like it!!!!

Quote from the "news" article on RIAA.org:

RIAA against music sharing? Not anymore!

RIAA to sue music sharers? Not Anymore

With the legal file sharing service kazaa still online, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) today announced that it intends to offer the latest albums for download from riaa.org.

As you are probably aware, the RIAA has been pursuing a policy of preventing this activity in recent months

We have recently become aware that this approach is yielding only limited results and in some cases may in fact be harming sales and the artists' revenue stream.

The RIAA wishes to apologise for the heavy-handed manner in which the popular chinese site Listen4Ever was closed down, and would like to present the following items for free download as a token of its goodwill.

Of course the list is relatively small, but please be patient - we expect to offer over 300 next week. We also intend to offer pre-released movies in the coming months.

According to many people, the list of the MP3's that were on the site were actually on the RIAA's servers and many people were able to download them.

Tracks available:

01-linkin_park-opening-ser.mp3
02-linkin_park-pts.of.athrty-jay_gordon-ser.mp3
03-linkin_park-enth_e_nd-
kutmasta_kurt_feat_motion_man-ser.mp3 04-linkin_park-(chali)-ser.mp3
05-linkin_park-frgt-10-alchemist_feat_chali_2na-ser.mp3
06-linkin_park-p5hng_me_awy-br>mike_shinoda_feat_stephen_richards-ser.mp3
07-linkin_park-plc.4_mie_haed-amp_live_feat_zion-ser.mp3
08-linkin_park-x-ecutioner_style-feat_black_thought-ser.mp3
09-linkin_park-h_vltg3-evidence_feat_pharoahe_monch_and_dj_babu-ser.mp3
10-linkin_park-(riff_raff)-ser.mp3
11-linkin_park-wthyou-chairman_hahn_feat_aceyalone-ser.mp3
12-linkin_park-ntr-mssion-ser.mp3
13-linkin_park-pprkut-cheapshot_and_jubacca_feat_rasco_and_planet_asia-ser.mp3
14-linkin_park-rnwaty-backyard_bangers_feat_phoenix_orion-ser.mp3
15-linkin_park-mydsmbr-mickey_p._feat_kelli_ali-ser.mp3
16-linkin_park-(stef)-ser.mp3
17-linkin_park-by_myslf-josh_abraham_and_mike_shinoda-ser.mp3
18-linkin_park-kyur4_the_ich-chairman_hahn-ser.mp3
19-linkin_park-1stp_klosr-the_humble_brothers_feat_jonathan_davis-ser.mp3
20-linkin_park-krwlng-mike_shinoda_feat_aaron_lewis-ser.mp3

note: quote does not express any official opinion of Techspotlight.

 

[Vehementi]

Originally posted by Didou
We might get to see THIS more often then.

Hopefully...
/me crosses his fingers

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Well, looks like someone was misreading..

From the homepage:
Thomson Multimedia says 'MP3 has never been free'
by Julio @ 5:32 PM -
In a turn around of events (and don't be confused by the subject, this is a good thing); Newsforge has the official word from Thomson Multimedia, the creators of MP3 technology, that licensing for the media has not changed like it was rumoured a few days ago and there will be no charges for free decoders/players (say, Winamp)...
Dave Arland, a U.S. spokesman for Thomson Multimedia, says that MP3 licensing terms have not changed in seven years, and that as far as he knows there are no plans to change them in the future. According to Arland, the Slashdot poster who claimed Thomson's license structure changed recently "was apparently misinformed."

The controversy was created by the removal of this line in the old MP3 royalty licensing page (courtesy of Internet Wayback Machine) from the current version: "No license fee is expected for desktop software mp3 decoders/players that are distributed free-of-charge via the Internet for personal use of end-users."
But the lack of these few words on the latest version of the MP3 licensing Web site does not represent a change in Thomson's policy.