Re: [gNewSense-users] More on the mp3 issue

[Anthony Patarini]

"According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patent these patents 
are generally good for 20 years."

MP3 was "standardized" in 1993. At that time, patents lasted 17 years in 
the USA (it has since been lengthened to 20, but this is NOT 
retroactive). So everything essential to MP3 playback should be in the 
public domain in 2010.

"20 years from the latest date of grant of any of the patents listed in 
http://mp3licensing.com/patents/ falls on October 20, 2023 (the "Method 
for transmitting a TDAC coded audio signal" patent was granted in Norway 
on October 20, 2003).  I offer this as an estimate of when any of the 
known patents covering MP3 is no longer enforcible anywhere in the world."

The "newest patent" is not of any particular concern. It may cover some 
optimized algorithm for MP3 playback, but all the essential components 
needed to encode/decode MP3 audio will be in the public domain (in the 
USA) at some point in 2010.