[Linux-bruxelles] Re: [radioswap] Check this out! - The future's bright, the future's ogg

[Lode Vermeiren]

> The future's bright, the future's ogg

While we know that, the Slashdot posting about the new mp3 licensing 
wasn't really accurate (but what do you expect from them?)...

Here's a mail from thompson, mp3 licensor, which was forwarded to the 
RedHat Limbo beta list, clarifying the situation:
Please take back mpg123 and xmms mp3. This email is from Thomson 

Nazeman 

......Thomson has never charged a per unit royalty for freely distributed 
software 
decoders....... 



-----Message suivi----- 

From: Steve Syatt <ssyatt at ssapr.com> 
To: patrick.largey at nazeman.org 
Cc: patrick.largey at nazeman.org 
Subject: mp3 licensing 
Date: 28 Aug 2002 11:40:10 -0700 

Dear Patrick, 

I am the public relations person for Thomson multimedia (mp3 licensing) 
and 
was copied on your email. Please take a look below at the company 
statement 
response from Thmomson multimedia regarding the Slashdot posting - which 
was 
written by someone who completely misunderstood the mp3 licensing program! 
Most important, there is no change whatsoever to the mp3 licensing 
program, 
which has pretty much stayed intact since its inception in 1995! Please 
stay with mp3 - it has always been Thomson's biggest objective to be 
totally 
accessible and fair to the consumer, and always will be! 

Sincerely, 

Steve Syatt 
SSA Public Relations (for Thomson multimedia, mp3 Licensing) 



Statement from Thomson Multimedia, mp3 Licensing 

In a posting appearing Tuesday August 27, 2002 on the Web site 
.slashdot.org,. an individual cited a change in the mp3 license fee 
structure of Thomson and Fraunhofer. The writer of the post apparently 
misread the mp3 licensing conditions, as Thomson.s mp3 licensing policy 
has 
not experienced any change. 

To clarify, since the beginning of our mp3 licensing program in 1995, 
Thomson has never charged a per unit royalty for freely distributed 
software 
decoders. For commercially sold decoders . primarily hardware mp3 players 
. 
the per-unit royalty has always been in place since the beginning of the 
program. 

Therefore, there is no change in our licensing policy and we continue to 
believe that the royalty fees of .75 cents per mp3 player (on average 
selling over $200 dollars) has no measurable impact on the consumer 
experience.