[grc] News about mp3 becoming obsolete format

[al davis]

On Thu, 20 Jul 2017 04:51:40 -0700
Frieda Werden via grc <grc at maillist.peak.org> wrote:
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4507098/MP3-format-killed-founders-terminate-licensing.html

Yet another half-truth.

The licensing is terminated because the patents are expiring, and so
the licensing is no longer needed.

In a technical sense, compared to the alternatives, mp3 has really been
obsolete for a long time.

Ogg-vorbis was created as a free alternative to the non-free mp3.  It
works better and can be used without licensing.  While free and with no
patents could be considered to be a benefit to most, to the corporate
world it is a drawback.  The corporate world wants technology they can
restrict, so in public they almost deny the existence of ogg-vorbis.

So AAC was invented to take it back. .. A supposedly better format
that is once again proprietary.

Regardless of what anyone wants, MP3 isn't going away for a long time.