W3C's position on RTCWEB mandatory to implement video codec

We understand that the IETF rtcweb Working Group is expecting to select
a mandatory-to-implement video codec.

W3C believes that there should be a royalty-free standard web
infrastructure which should include Real Time Communications on the Web.

W3C is not expressing any preference among the codecs based on the
technical merits of the proposals before the working group. We wish to
bring a few background facts to participants' attention.

In 2011 W3C approached MPEG-LA, the licensing authority for the
generally-known patent pool for H.264, with a proposal for royalty-free
licensing of the H.264 baseline codec, to be referenced for use by the
HTML5 video tag.  MPEG-LA was receptive to this proposal; however, the
proposal was turned down by a narrow margin within the MPEG-LA
membership.

Whatever codec the rtcweb Working Group might choose, we encourage the
Working Group to work toward technologies that implementers can be
confident are available on a royalty-free basis and W3C is willing to
work with the IETF in achieving this.

Regards,

For Tim Berners-Lee, Director, and
Jeff Jaffe, CEO,
Philippe Le Hégaret and Thomas Roessler, IETF Contacts for W3C

Received on Friday, 2 November 2012 16:05:17 UTC