Will AC3 support be added back in?

[MasterChiefmas]

I'm not a patent law expert by any means, but recent posts and information elsewhere with regards to Dolby's patents on AC3 make it sounds like it should be possible to legally add AC3 support back into players again. Since this was once in BSPlayer, I assume it wouldn't be too hard to re-enable the relevant code, so will it be? It'd be nice to not have to utilize an external codec... Relevant information I'm talking about: https://ac3freedomday.org/ Thank you

[junkmail]

it was in bullshit player...but programer deleted this codec...so think it is now BULSHIT PLAYER, about ac3 is a normal fileformat...it is not a serious software player, if it not get played.

ac3 delete has nothing to do with patents, copyright etc (ac3 is opensource!).

p.s.: i have no more updated since ac3 no more on bs-player (last version with ac3: 1.24).
not anytime is new a good idea! mosttimes the old things better (explizit on software!)

[junkmail]

Originally Posted by MasterChiefmas

I'm not a patent law expert by any means, but recent posts and information elsewhere with regards to Dolby's patents on AC3 make it sounds like it should be possible to legally add AC3 support back into players again. Since this was once in BSPlayer, I assume it wouldn't be too hard to re-enable the relevant code, so will it be? It'd be nice to not have to utilize an external codec... Relevant information I'm talking about: https://ac3freedomday.org/ Thank you

aha..so now same bullshit as on win?
it exist millions free ac3 codecs...so it have nothing to do with dolby patent/copyright...than the free codecs on windows are illigal? thinking people!

[MasterChiefmas]

Originally Posted by junkmail

ac3 delete has nothing to do with patents, copyright etc (ac3 is opensource!).

Uh, No.

liba52 is an open source implementation of an AC3 decoder.

Just because an open source implementation of something exists doesn't make it legal to use without licensing from the patent holder.

AC3 is a commercial codec that was covered by patents until recently, which is why many projects removed support for it. Dolby was well within their legal rights based on the licensing terms they had for use of AC3 to pursue companies implementing both the encoder and the decoder.

It is now legal for things to implement AC3 without a license because of the expiration of the patents which covered it. You will note that things implementing it are probably very careful not to call it Dolby Digital, because Dolby Digital is a registered trademark. Or do you think that's free as well?

[MasterChiefmas]

Originally Posted by junkmail

aha..so now same bullshit as on win?
it exist millions free ac3 codecs...so it have nothing to do with dolby patent/copyright...than the free codecs on windows are illigal? thinking people!

Also, no. You apparently don't understand anything that is going on with those codecs. You should educate yourself before blurting things out.

Microsoft either owned the codecs (WMV based ones), they actually were patent unencumbered (PCM codecs) or the patent holders granted free licenses (FLAC), or Microsoft paid for a license, which I think they did with mpeg-2 in some versions of Windows (Media Center), but which is why there is no mpeg2 codec in Windows 10 and as a result you can't play a DVD out of box with Windows 10 without installing something/buying something.

Another good example of this, Firefox has H.264 support not because H.264 is free, but Cisco paid the royalties to the MPEG LA.

Further, some codecs are free for implementation in players, but not in encoders.