[Asterisk-Users] G.729 licensing/patent?

[Steve Underwood]

Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk wrote:

> hi
>
> The laws in norway currently don't allow patenting algorithms as with 
> many other countries. Does this mean I can use G.729 
> (http://www.vovida.org/applications/downloads/G729A/) without 
> bothering the license? AFAIK this is the story with IDEA and probably 
> all others...

There are two groups of patents related to G.729 (and to other codecs, 
and to many other signal processing techniques, such as modems). There 
are patents for algorithms, and patents for signal processing apparatus. 
The ones about algorithms - generally computational techniques to speed 
it up - are not an issue outside the US. Even in the US they can 
generally be sidesteped, by using slower methods to achieve the same 
effect. The ones covering signal processing equipment exist in many 
markets, especially most of Europe. Whatever your view on software 
patents, as soon as you run a G.729 code somewhere you have a physical 
device infringing those patents.

Regards,
Steve