Google And MPEG LA Announce Agreement Over VP8 Video Codec Licensing

Google and patent licensing company MPEG LA have jointly announced an agreement between them providing Google with a couple different licensing rights, including the ability to sub-license VP8 techniques to VP8 users. This move will make the VP8 open video codec more widely available to users and could lead to a wider adoption of it across video services. Likewise, this also opens the lines for VP9 development, something that has already begun.

Under the agreement, Google has been given a license to both VP8 and earlier VPx video compression techniques, in addition to a right to sublicense those techniques regardless of whether the implementation of it will be by Google or something else. The sublicensing extends to a next-gen VPx video codec as well, leading the way for VP9.

Said Google's Deputy General Counsel for Patents Allen Lo, "This is a significant milestone in Google's efforts to establish VP8 as a widely-deployed web video format. We appreciate MPEG LA's cooperation in making this happen." Information about the financial aspects of the deal was not included in the announcement.

For its part in this, MPEG LA will no longer try to assemble a VP8 video codec patent pool, putting the kibosh on cross licensing and the going after of VP8/VPx users. MPEG LA's President and CEO Larry Horn stated in the announcement, "We are pleased for the opportunity to facilitate agreements with Google to make VP8 widely available to users."

[via Business Wire]