"it appears to me that Google is patenting it so that they have the patent, not for purely altruistic reasons"
This is not correct. In fact, as far as i know, the code was already open sourced, and the patent would end up released as part of AV1/etc anyway.
"If it was for the public good, the patent would be filed via a non-profit that Google can't control."
It'll be released that way, so who cares who files and pays the fees?
You really don't want non-profits filing patents. Really. This is pretty much the most horrible thing i can think of.
It's infinitely easier to keep them from going bad (Example: MPEG-LA) if you can make their corporate bylaws, etc, prevent them from filing patents.
>This is pretty much the most horrible thing i can think of.
>It's infinitely easier to keep them from going bad (Example:
>MPEG-LA) if you can make their corporate bylaws, etc,
>prevent them from filing patents.
? Non-profits are corporations. They have by-laws. They also have several advantages over for-profits in the case of dissolution; eg, you can set up a non-profit so that the IP they hold is not simply sold to the highest bidder.
FTR, Xiph.Org is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, and we hold patents.
This is not correct. In fact, as far as i know, the code was already open sourced, and the patent would end up released as part of AV1/etc anyway.
"If it was for the public good, the patent would be filed via a non-profit that Google can't control."
It'll be released that way, so who cares who files and pays the fees?
You really don't want non-profits filing patents. Really. This is pretty much the most horrible thing i can think of. It's infinitely easier to keep them from going bad (Example: MPEG-LA) if you can make their corporate bylaws, etc, prevent them from filing patents.