Open Letter to Thomson Multimedia.

Thank you for setting a precedent in providing free technology until the world has become hooked on it, and then charging a lot of money afterwards. This isn't a new idea, but we're glad that you've taken a stand to ensure that this practice will continue as long as vested interests control patents on multimedia. We hope that you'll continue in this pattern with MPEG-4, since we'll be releasing a free MPEG-4 competitor next summer.

Here is the full text of the open letter in case the link goes bad:

http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/openletter.html

[ogg logo] the Xiphophorus company
August 27th, 2002

Dear Thomson Multimedia:

Thank you for removing the license-fee exemption for the release of free mp3 decoders.

Thank you for the unbelievable amount of free publicity we have received in the wake of this announcement. If it weren't for the change in mp3 licensing, there's a very real chance that the continued adoption of our open standards may have slowed down.

Thank you for presenting a reminder to people that when they choose a patented alternative over a free one, they will eventually have to pay in one way or another. It's been difficult to send this message all by ourselves; we're glad you've decided to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park.

Thank you for providing the impetus for millions of people and hundreds of companies to give an open, free alternative a try. We love it when people get a chance to evaluate technology, and we've been happy to present them with a superior alternative to mp3. If it weren't for the removal of the free-decoder exemption, it might have taken even longer for people to try it out.

Thank you for setting a precedent in providing free technology until the world has become hooked on it, and then charging a lot of money afterwards. This isn't a new idea, but we're glad that you've taken a stand to ensure that this practice will continue as long as vested interests control patents on multimedia. We hope that you'll continue in this pattern with MPEG-4, since we'll be releasing a free MPEG-4 competitor next summer.

Also, with all of the tech-trade brouhaha over your decision, we're certain that people will continue to donate to our fine organization, in the hopes that we'll continue to release open source software that out-performs proprietary alternatives. After all, with tiny donations that represent a mere fraction of your minimum royalties, we can ensure that open standards for multimedia will thrive.

Please be sure to threaten those who challenge your license fees with lawsuits and draconian collections efforts. We officially support any action you take to drive home the 'mp3 costs money' message. Thanks again, and best of luck!

Emmett Plant
CEO, Xiph.org Foundation

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