[theora-dev] DV format patent status

[Ralph Giles]

Hi folks,

I was curious what's known about the patent situation with the DV 
format. Google turns up a number of press articles describing it as an 
"open standard with no associated licensing fees" but also, for example, 
US Patent number 5,691,81 which, while I've not done a careful 
comparison of the claims, sounds like it covers the block-rearrangement 
scheme that's the major innovation in the DV format.

So which is it? Is there a fee- and royalty-free grant on the applicable 
patents? Do the published specs have anything to say on the matter? I 
thought I'd consult available wisdom before paying for the spec 
documents in hope of enlightenment. :)

Cheers,
 -r
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