## FSF open letter to Google: You can end the web's dependence on patent-encumbered video formats and proprietary Flash
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Friday, February 19, 2010 -- The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has just posted an open letter to Google in light of the successful On2 acquisition, calling on it to free the VP8 codec with an irrevocable royalty-free license, and to promote the video codec through YouTube. The open letter is available here: <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/google-free-on2-vp8-for-youtube/> "Google's purchase of On2 gives it the power to end the web's dependence on patent-encumbered video formats and proprietary software such as Flash. If Google cares about free software and the free web -- a movement and medium to which it owes its success -- it can take this bold action," said FSF executive director Peter Brown. "Google can launch VP8 and use YouTube to make it a global standard," said FSF campaigns manager Holmes Wilson, "Until we move to fully free web standards, the threat of patent lawsuits and licensing fees hangs over every software developer, video creator, hardware maker, web site and corporation -- including Google." On2 makes video compression technology and has a history of helping the free software movement. In 2001, it released its VP3 compression technology to the Xiph Foundation, which became the basis of the free Theora codec. Google, as owner of On2, is now in a position to do the same with On2's next generation VP8 video codec. VP8 is touted as superior to H.264, a patented yet widely used compression standard. The letter challenges Google to "do the right thing": "Free VP8, and use it on YouTube!" ### About the Free Software Foundation The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at <http://donate.fsf.org>. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA. ### About Free Software and Open Source The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html>. ### Media Contacts Holmes Wilson Campaigns Manager Free Software Foundation +1 (614) 465 6371 <[email protected]> ### _______________________________________________ FSF And GNU Press mailing list <[email protected]> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-press
