[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: quickcam: "Free VIDEC access campaign", Step 1
On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Hanno Mueller wrote:
> Basically, I want to get the people at Connectix realize that there are a _lot_
> of people interested in making the VIDEC algorithm a part of third party
> drivers. Also, I want to give them a "ready to sign" list of terms for a free
> VIDEC licensing policy.
I don't think you will ever get that. Connectix has a patent on VIDEC
(http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=5617552). They would
be very naive if they gave out source code to it ;-)
> I have thought up a few terms that I think are both good for us (free access to
> the VIDEC algorithm) and good for Connectix (protection against non-licensed
> use of VIDEC).
It doesn't help if Connectix can sue you if you redistribute the VIDEC
code even if you are not allowed to because it would have been published,
then. They would never agree. It's too risky.
I think one should focus on getting Connectix to publish a library (or
perhaps just an object file containing the necessary functions) to decode
the VIDEC stream. That would be good enough. Certainly, Connectix doesn't
want to invest a lot of time and money to do that. So, someone (you,
Hanno? ;>) should try to tell them: "Many people would like to have VIDEC
support for their QuickCam under Unix. I'm a programmer capable of
programming a VIDEC engine for *nix and I'll do it for free (or for little
money $-) ). I'll sign a NDA, you let me program the library and then
everyone can use it for free - as one can download a VIDEC module for
Windows from your WWW site.". I think this is the only way it _could_
work.
Yours,
<-gninneH<-
--
Henning Holtschneider * Bauernkamp 41 * 44339 Dortmund * Germany
hh@hhome.farside.net
Follow-Ups:
References: