MPEG LA patent move blemishes Google's Web video plan

Another Google plan, but a serious complication has just emerged for Google's plan for high-quality, patent-free, open-source video on the Web. Google also revealed plans today to try to counteract it.

MPEG LA, an organization that licenses video-related patents related to a variety of standards, has formally requested for patent owners to inform them of patents they believe Google's VP8 technology uses.

MPEG LA had this to say yesterday:

In order to participate in the creation of, and determine licensing terms for, a joint VP8 patent license, any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the VP8 video codec specification is invited to submit them for a determination of their essentiality by MPEG LA's patent evaluators. At least one essential patent is necessary to participate in the process, and initial submissions should be made by March 18, 2011.

Well big brother has to do something about this.