It should be well-known that patents are harmful. They prevent ideas, products, and, egregiously,
science and technology, from being used, adapted, and improved upon. When profit becomes involved in
such affairs, it rapidly becomes apparent that profit is the main, and often only, target for
anything covered by the patent. While the argument can be made that profit provides motivation for
advancement, this is rarely the case, most times showing the polar-opposite outcome. A fine example
of this is the recent
H.264 (Advanced Video Coding; AVC)
situation, which occurred on 2026-04-03. This article explains what happened, and which steps should
be taken.
On 2026-04-03,
Via Licensing Alliance
increased the licensing cost of H.264 from USD 100,000 to USD 4,500,000[0][1], overnight, with no public
announcement. They quietly, and secretly, announced the cost-increases to unlicensed parties before
the increases occurred.
Not only do the cost-increases make it more difficult for people and businesses to use the H.264
codec, it completely prevents emerging businesses, such as startups, and entire emerging markets,
from being able to use it. If H.264 was the only available video codec, the video technology would
have been stifled. Regardless of whether or not people and businesses can afford the new licensing
fees, the fees further monopolise what is an already-monopolised market, with only large
corporations being able to afford the costs. In fact, these changes make it worse, as those
corporations which already have a H.264 license continue to pay the previous license fee, while new
licensees pay the new license fee. This is only 1 of many problems of patents.
It isn't only H.264 which is causing such issues.
H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding; HEVC)
has also caused its own share of issues, such as forcing Acer and ASUS to take their products off
the market[2][3][4].
These patent-related issues do not affect only people and businesses using them, they also affect
every consumer using them. Such patented science and technology cannot be relied upon; they are
morally, ethically, and, in regards to advancement, incorrect.
To truly advance video, a free, open video codec is required, free of any hindering patents.
Fortunately, such a video codec already exists thanks to the efforts of multiple parties interested
in the cause. That video codec is the
Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)'sAV1.
AV1 is both royalty-free and patent-free, allowing usage of the codec in both software and hardware,
without limitation. While the parties involved in the creation of AV1 do hold patents, they
do so solely to protect the open nature of AV1 and defend against false patent claims. There are, of
course, patent trolls who claim to hold or license patents over AV1[5][6].
AV1 has similar performance and characteristics to H.265, without any of its disadvantages.
Hobbyist users of video codecs can switch to AV1 with immediate effect. Professional users and
businesses may incur costs for doing so, and it could be advisable to hold-out for the impending
arrival of AOMedia's next-generation video codec,
AV2;
however, gains are likely going to be possible with AV1, without waiting for AV2.
It is not unreasonable to classify AV1 as the true advancement of video, and, as such, I use a
term befitting of it.
