[Foundation-l] We should permit Flash video playback

[Tim Starling]

Anthony wrote:
> On 7/21/07, Peter Halasz <email at pengo.org> wrote:
[...]
>> Allowing Proprietary Flash clients to display our Free OGG content is
>> a Good Thing, even if we have to transcode to flv to get it there.
>> Playback is not a zero sum game -- we can support different clients.
>> Let's not get pretend this is the same as supporting FLV as a native
>> file format -- it's not. It's only about playback.
>>
> Is this definitely legal?  Can the WMF transcode OGG to flv without
> permission from anyone?  If so, I really don't see the problem, per
> the reasons you give.  But Kat mentioned this:
> 
> "So, great, you can edit the theora version with only free tools, but
> then you can't update the Flash version; you're dependent on someone
> willing to play by their rules to do so."
> 
> This implies that some sort of permission is needed to transcode OGG
> to flv (or maybe it has to be done outside the US).
> 
> I guess I could just look up the answer to this, but there are
> probably others on this list wondering similar things.

You don't need permission. At most you need a patent license, but MPEG LA
don't charge for noncommercial use of open source encoders, and they don't
charge for "free internet broadcast" either.

-- Tim Starling