Justice probes Internet video company competing with Google-backed technology: WSJ
In another sign of intense competition to be the dominant platform for online video, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into an Apple-backed company that may be unfairly preventing the growth of a free video technology used by Google.
In a report Thursday evening, the Wall Street Journal cites sources saying the company MPEG LA has used its vast pool of patents for video formats to collect royalties from streaming video companies such as Netflix and Google. MPEG LA's members, including Apple and Microsoft, receive some of those royalties.
"Antitrust enforcers are investigating whether MPEG LA, or its members, are trying to cripple an alternative format called VP8 that Google released last year—by creating legal uncertainty over whether users might violate patents by employing that technology, these people added," according to the WSJ.
Read their story here.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178833590548792.html#ixzz1FadnQmaI
By
Cecilia Kang
| March 3, 2011; 8:29 PM ET
Save & Share:
Previous: China plans to track cellphone users, sparking human rights concerns
Next: The Circuit: Apple considering unlimited music downloads, S. Korean government sites attacked, Android leads with new smartphone users
Investigate the banks.
Posted by: coogene | March 4, 2011 6:32 PM | Report abuse
We encourage users to analyze, comment on and even challenge washingtonpost.com's articles, blogs, reviews and multimedia features.
User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.